
Directing
Born December 14, 1934 · Alwal, Hyderabad, British India (now Andhra Pradesh, India)
Shyam Benegal (December 14, 1934–December 23, 2024) was a prolific Indian director and screenwriter. With his first four feature films Ankur (1973), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), and Bhumika (1977) he created a new genre, which has now come to be called the "middle cinema" in India although he himself has expressed dislike in the term preferring his work to be called New or Alternate cinema. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991. On 8 August 2007, he was awarded the highest award in Indian cinema for lifetime achievement, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2005. He has won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi seven times. Benegal died of kidney disease on 23 December 2024 in Mumbai and is survived by his daughter.

Mujib: The Making of a Nation
2023

Well Done Abba
2010

Welcome to Sajjanpur
2008

Bose: The Forgotten Hero
2005

Zubeidaa
2001

Hari-Bhari
2000
Samar
1999

Sardari Begum
1996

The Making of the Mahatma
1996

Mammo
1994

The Seventh Horse of the Sun
1992

Susman (The Essence)
1987

Satyajit Ray
1985

Past, Present, and Future
1985

Nehru
1984

Mandi
1983

Arohan
1983

Kalyug
1981

Junoon
1978

The Sage from the Sea
1978

The Role
1977

Manthan
1976

Nishant
1975

Charandas the Thief
1975

Ankur: The Seedling
1974

Indian Youth: An Exploration
1968