MUMBAI: Renowned film director Shyam Benegal passed away. He was 90 years old. He died at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai. Shyam Benegal was under treatment for a long time due to kidney disease. His daughter Pia Benegal informed that his death was confirmed at 6:30 in the evening.

Shyam was born on 14 December 1934 in Tirumalagiri, Hyderabad State, British India. His father Sridhar B. was a cinematographer. Shyam Benegal made his first film at the age of twelve using a camera given to him by his father. Shyam Benegal graduated in Economics from Nizam College under Osmania University and founded a film society there called Hyderabad Film Society.

The veteran director pioneered the Indian parallel cinema movement in the 1970s and 1980s with a narrative style known for its realism and social commentary that broke away from the conventions of mainstream Indian cinema. He has won the National Award 18 times. The country honoured him with the Dada Sahib Phalke Award in 2005. The important films are Ankur, Nishant, Manthan, Junoon, Mandi, etc.

Shyam Benegal had celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14. Prominent actors Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Shabana Azmi, Rajit Kapoor, Atul Tiwari and Kunal Kapoor who is the son of filmmaker and actor Shashi Kapoor, were also present at the event.