Photos from Shyam Benegal’s last birthday bash featuring Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta and others go viral – See inside |

Legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal passed away on Monday (December 23) at the age of 90. He was known for his iconic films like Manthan and Mandi.
Benegal celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14. Actor Shabana Azmi, who started her career with his film Ankur in 1974, shared pictures from his birthday celebration, which was his last public appearance.
Check out the photos here:

“Some of his actors with Shyam Benegal on his 90th birthday. Mashallah (sic),” wrote Azmi in her post.
The group photo included notable personalities such as Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Shabana Azmi, Rajit Kapur, Atul Tiwari, filmmaker-actor Kunal Kapoor, and others.

Shyam Benegal made his feature film debut with Ankur (1974), starring Anant Nag and Shabana Azmi. The film received critical acclaim and won the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film, marking the beginning of Benegal’s influential career as a pioneer in Indian cinema.

Shyam Benegal’s third film, Nishant (1975), earned international recognition with a Palme d’Or nomination at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival. Featuring a stellar cast, including Girish Karnad, Shabana Azmi, Anant Nag, Amrish Puri, Smita Patil, and Naseeruddin Shah, it showcases Benegal’s filmmaking brilliance.
Benegal’s final directorial project, Mujib: The Making of a Nation (2023), depicted the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh.