Gulzar, Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah pay last respects to cinema legend Shyam Benegal

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): Bollywood veterans Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Naseeruddin Shah, Gulzar, Boman Irani Indian actor and others attended the funeral of legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal in Mumbai. They bid adieu to the late filmmaker, who passed away on Monday evening. Shabana made her debut with the Shyam Benegal directorial ‘Ankur’ which also marked the directorial debut of the filmmaker. The film went onto clinch the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film in 1975.

Actress Divya Dutta and action choreographer Shyam Kaushal, the father of Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal were also seen paying their last respects to the mortal remains of the late filmmaker at Shivaji Park Electric Crematorium.

Earlier, Shabana took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday to share details about the funeral of the filmmaker.

Shyam Benegal is widely considered as one of the greatest filmmakers after the 1970s, and received several honours like 18 National Film Awards, a Nandi Award, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in the field of cinema, a Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan.

The filmmaker recently celebrated his 90th birthday in Mumbai.

He was born in Hyderabad to Sridhar B. Benegal who was prominent in the field of photography. He was the second cousin of the legendary Indian auteur Guru Dutt.

Shyam Benegal started his career as a copywriter, and made his first Documentary film in Gujarati, ‘Gher Betha Ganga’ in 1962. His first four feature films ‘Ankur’ (1973), ‘Nishant’ (1975), ‘Manthan’ (1976) and ‘Bhumika’ (1977) made him a pioneer of the new wave film movement of that period.

He also served as the Director of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) from 1980 to 1986.

Members of the film fraternity on Monday had shared their condolences on social media in light of the demise of the cinema legend.

National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee took to his X, formerly Twitter, and penned a long note remembering the legend. He wrote, “A heartbreaking loss for Indian cinema. Shyam Benegal wasn’t just a legend, he was a visionary who redefined storytelling and inspired generations. Working with him in Zubeidaa was a transformative experience for me, exposing me to his unique style of storytelling & nuanced understanding of performances”.

He further mentioned, “I’ll forever be grateful for the lessons I learned under his direction. It was an absolute honor to have had the opportunity to work with him. His legacy will live on in the stories he told and the lives he touched. Rest in peace Shyam Babu, Om Shanti”.

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar also posted on his X, “Pained to know of Shyam Benegal ji’s demise. One of the finest filmmakers in our country, truly a legend. Om Shanti”. Shekhar Kapur wrote on his X, “He created ‘the new wave’ cinema. #shyambenegal will always be remembered as the man that changed the direction of Indian Cinema with films like Ankur, Manthan and countless others. He created stars out great actors like Shabama Azmi and Smita Patil. Farewell my friend and guide”.