Shyam Benegal: A retrospective of his cinema & 18 National Awards
Filmmaker Shyam Benegal passed away at 90 on December 23, 2024. He made over 20 feature films and won 18 National Awards.
His first film won a National Award
Shyam Benegal's debut film 'Ankur' (1974) won the National Award for Second Best Feature Film.
Won National Awards for Best Screenplay & Direction
Benegal won National Awards for Best Screenplay ('Bhumika', 1977), Best Feature Film ('Junoon', 1979; 'Arohan', 1982), and Best Direction ('Trikal', 1985).
Two films won National Awards in 1996
Benegal won Best Feature Film for 'Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda' (1993), 'Mammo' (1994), 'Sardari Begum' (1996), 'The Making of the Mahatma' (1996), and 'Samar' (1999).
National Awards in 2000 and 2001
Benegal won Best Film on Family Welfare ('Hari-Bhari', 2000) and Best Feature Film ('Zubeidaa', 2001).
Awarded the Nargis Dutt Award
'Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose' (2005) won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Film on National Integration, and 'Well Done Abba' (2010) won Best Film on Other Social Issues.
National Awards for two documentaries
Benegal won awards for 'Satyajit Ray, Filmmaker' (1982) and 'Nehru'.
Honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award
In 2005, Shyam Benegal received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest honor in cinema.