Person in history
Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal, Indian director and screenwriter (born 1934)
Life at a glance
- Died
- 2024 · December 23
Their story
Who they were
Shyam Benegal was an Indian film director, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker. Often regarded as a pioneer of parallel cinema, he is considered as one of the greatest filmmakers post 1970s. He has received several accolades, including eighteen National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award and a Nandi Award. In 2005, he was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in the field of cinema. In 1976, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri,
Early life
Early life and education Shyam Benegal was born on 14 December 1934 in a Konkani -speaking [ 1 ] Hindu family [ 2 ] in Hyderabad , as Shyam Sunder Benegal. [ 3 ] His father hailed from Karnataka . [ 4 ] In an interview, he has described his father as agnostic , and was himself non-religious even though he would respect faith. [ 5 ] When he was twelve years old, he made his first film, on a camera given to him by his photographer father Sridhar B. Benegal. He received an M.A.
Why this date
Shyam Benegal appears on our December 23 calendar for 2024 as a death entry.
Sources
Cite this page
“Shyam Benegal”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/people/shyam-benegal, accessed October 28, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about Shyam Benegal
When did Shyam Benegal die?
December 23 2024.
Who else was born on this day?
The date page lists everyone we hold for that calendar day.
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