Legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who redefined Indian cinema with movies such as Ankur, Manthan, and Zubeidaa, passed away at the age of 90. He was admitted to Wockhardt Hospitals in Mumbai, where he was undergoing treatment for chronic kidney issues. The news was confirmed by his daughter, Pia Benegal.

As the news of his passing struck the internet, people quickly began to reshare photos of his last birthday celebration, which took place just 9 days before. The bash was a star-studded event attended by the who’s who of the industry, including Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, and Rajit Kapur, among others.

In the picture, Shyam was all smiles, posing for the camera as he sat at the dinner table, surrounded by his loved ones. Shabana, who was launched by the acclaimed filmmaker through his film Ankur (1974), had shared the birthday photo alongside a caption that read, “Some of his actors with Shyam Benegal on his 90th birthday. Mashallah.”

Check out the photo here:

Some of his actors with Shyam Benegal’s on his 90th birthday Mashallah pic.twitter.com/cnDrjAphf2

— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) December 15, 2024

Shyam Benegal 90th Birthday Interview

On his 90th birthday, Shyam gave an interview to PTI and exclusively talked about the celebration. He also revealed that he is busy working on multiple projects simultaneously. “We all grow old. I don’t do anything great (on my birthday). It may be a special day but I don’t celebrate it specifically. I cut a cake at the office with my team. I’m working on two to three projects; they are all different from one another. It’s difficult to say which one I will make. They are all for the big screen,” he had said.

Also Read: Shyam Benegal Dies: Lesser Known Facts About Trailblazer Of Indian Parallel Cinema