Famous filmmaker Shyam Benegal died on Monday at the age of 90. The renowned director, known for iconic films like Manthan and Mandi, celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14. Actress Shabana Azmi, who debuted with Benegal’s Ankur in 1974, shared pictures. Birthday celebration, which is his last public appearance.

Azmi wrote in his post, “Some of his artists with Shyam Benegal on his 90th birthday. Mashaallah.”

Major names included in the group photo Like Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Shabana Azmi, Rajit Kapoor, Atul Tiwari, filmmaker-actor Kunal Kapoor and others.

Benegal died at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai at around 6.30 pm on Monday evening. His daughter Pia Benegal Confirmed the news to India Today.

Shyam Benegal made his feature film debut with Ankur (1974) starring Anant Nag and Shabana Azmi. The film received widespread critical acclaim and won the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film, establishing Benegal as a pioneer in Indian cinema.

His third film, Nishant (1975), achieved international recognition with a Palme d’Or nomination at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival. Starring a star cast including Girish Karnad, Shabana Azmi, Anant Nag, Amrish Puri, Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah, the film is a testament to his filmmaking talent.

Benegal’s final directorial film, Mujib: The Making of a Nation (2023), depicts the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.