Shyam Benegal: Film-maker of the Real India

Shyam Benegal is one of India’s greatest filmmakers. In a career spanning five decades, he has made films that have won numerous national and international awards. He was the pioneer of alternative cinema as a serious art form, holding up a mirror to the inequalities and injustices in Indian society. His work, which has inspired generations of filmmakers, is also responsible for introducing to the world some of the finest actors India has produced. His cinema is not bound to any particular region, and he is perhaps the only filmmaker whose broad subject has been India as a whole.

This book explores Benegal’s evolution as a filmmaker, his choice and treatment of subjects, and how his use of cinematic techniques, as well as philosophical views, have changed and developed over the years. It also includes a chapter that discusses Benegal’s work in television for the first time, and an interview in which he speaks about different aspects of his craft.

Written in an accessible style, this monograph offers a concise analysis of the works of a pre-eminent and influential filmmaker whose films offer a unique insight into the cultural history of post Independent India.

About the Author: Arjun Sengupta teaches English Literature at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, with previous stints at Scottish Church College and Presidency College. He teaches courses on postmodern poetry and fiction, scriptwriting, and cinematic adaptations of literary works. He has co-authored Victorian Literature and Modern Indian Literature. He has also co-authored Soumitra Chatterjee: A Life in Cinema, Theatre, Poetry & Painting.