Shyam Benegal
Chairman

Shyam Benegal holds a special place in the history of Indian cinema as a path-breaking yet popular filmmaker. His films that capture contemporary social reality are widely enjoyed by people, critically acclaimed and screened and discussed at International film festivals all over the world.

His first feature film 'Ankur' secured a place for him in the cinematic landscape of the country as an emerging Indian director in 1974, when it got nominated for the Golden Bear at Berlin . His second film 'Nishant' was nominated for Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1975.

He began his career in advertising in late fifties and turned to cinema in early seventies. He is indisputably the most popular director of New Indian Cinema. His early four films: 'Ankur' (1973), 'Nishant' (1975), 'Manthan' (1976) and 'Bhumika' (1977) are considered to be milestones of the movement. His style and approach to filmmaking that depicted harsh social realities with visibly left sympathetic optimism successfully engaged viewers and are often referred to as the "middle cinema". Practically all his films have won national awards and several of them have been awarded internationally.

He has also been a prolific documentary and short filmmaker with over 70 documentary and short films to his credit.

Mr. Benegal is one of the first filmmaker to understand the potential of television. His serials 'Bharat Ek Khoj (Discovery of India)' (1988) and 'Yatra' (1986) are considered high points of Indian broadcasting.

He was a Homi Bhabha Fellow (1970-72) during which time, he studied children's television and work for a few months as an Associate producer with WGBH Boston, USA and devoted sometime with the Children's Television Workshop in New York

He has also played a significant role in shaping film education in India as director of FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) for two terms 1980-83 and 1989-1992. He also served as the Director of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) from 1980 to 1986.

He has been awarded two top civilian honors from the government - Padma Shree (1976) and Padma Bhushan (1991). He was bestowed Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 2007 (for the year 2005), the highest award in the field of cinema by the Indian government.

He has also authored three books based on his own films, The Churning with Vijay Tendulkar (1984), based on 'Manthan'; Satyajit Ray (1988), based on his biographical film, 'Satyajit Ray, Filmmaker'; and The Marketplace (1989) which was based on 'Mandi'.

Currently, a member of Upper House (Rajya Sabha) of Indian Parliament, Shyam Benegal is an active filmmaker. He also heads the Federation of Film Societies of India, the umbrella body of film societies, started in 1949 under the leadership of Satyajit Ray.