The most important relationship the people of my generation have with Shyam Benegal, I think, is Bharat Ek Khoj (1988). These were sterling episodes on the history and ethic of India, directed and produced by Benegal, which came on Doordarshan when I was in school. It gave me a great interest and love for the country and its history, but it also revealed to me Benegal’s style of filmmaking.
I was also exposed to Benegal because my parents would watch his films with great relish. Many of Benegal’s films used to come on Doordarshan and I’m very lucky to have watched films such as Ankur (1974), Mandi (1983), and Trikal (1985) while I was growing up.
Those days, Benegal’s genre of films was called alternate or art cinema, but I remember watching them even as a child and feeling deeply riveted. It was like a page-turner—I could not take my eyes away from the screen even for a moment.
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India in Benegal’s work
In Shyam Benegal, I found a certain tautness of storytelling, which was always difficult to match for anyone else. He also made his stories with people who looked real and situations that felt real, yet none of the dramatic aspect of commercial movies was missing in his films.
He is one of the directors that I admire the most. I had a small interaction with him when I joined a company in Bombay and wrote a story that he directed. In that meeting alone, I gained a lot from him.
I was particularly interested in how Benegal kept his stories so taut and riveting. I tried to learn from the way he represented the cultures of so many different communities and classes of India in his films.
He was the original periscope of India. He has shown so many different cultures accurately and interestingly. In his work, the culture of India was always well-picturised.
Benegal’s films always featured local or traditional music, like in Manthan (1976), Bhumika (1977), and Junoon (1978). He has represented India like no other—a true maestro.
His films will always be an inspiration to every filmmaker in India and the world. Wherever he is, he is only going to make the world much more interesting, pleasant, and simple. It was a privilege to have known him, and it was a privilege to have watched the cinema of Shyam Benegal.
Imtiaz Ali is a renowned filmmaker. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)