Pioneer of the 'parallel' cinema

From the Pioneers of Modern India Series, this biography by Arjun Sengupta makes a deep dive into Shyam Benegal's cinematic journey—from his early influences and advertising career to his landmark films and television contributions. Excerpts:

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Benegal's first three films are powerful statements made with integrity, emphasis and authority. The idealism of his youth, his intellectual growth, his zealous hatred of oppression, unfairness, and inequality burst forth in stories seething with anger, frustration, and the hope of a more equitable future. They are stories from the heartland, set not in escapist spaces conjured up by Bollywood that don't really exist anywhere, but in places that are authentic and real. Benegal shot these films on location, taking with him the entire cast and crew for the duration of the shoot. In each of these films, old hands and absolute newcomers bonded together as a team, deeply aware of the importance of what they were doing. These films were set in villages and small towns, and like the light in a magic lantern, laid bare the deep-rooted patterns of life that had been around for centuries. His perspective was that of an educated man for whom Independence was an opportunity to not just be free of colonial shackles but also chains of superstition, ignorance, and divisions and exploitation based on caste and position within the social framework. At heart, Benegal believed in the vision of Nehru and in these films he depicted a pivotal moment in history where the old and new are struggling to attain a new equilibrium. It's not an accident that one of his titles is Manthan, a visual analogue of a time in turmoil destined to throw up a new order. For him, this order had to be defined by secularism, egalitarianism, and equal opportunity. Through accident or design, these films established him as a filmmaker whose subject went beyond the regional. As an artist, his subjects excelled in showcasing both the unrivalled diversity of the country as well as the deeper rhythms and systems of thought that united them all.

Ankur (The Seedling) Ankur marks a watershed moment in Indian cinema. Apart from its virtues as a film, it represents one of Benegal's chief attributes as a filmmaker-his