His next films, “Nishant” (1975), “Manthan” (1976) and “Bhumika” (1977) achieved the same commercial success. And it only went further. At a time when Indian cinema was shut out from change and basking in its constricted ideas of stardom and escapist themes, Benegal appeared on the scene to establish a cult that favored change and spoke against social inequalities. The Hindi cinema, which remained closed until then, obtained a new perspective.
The widely acclaimed director, considered a central figure in India’s alternative cinema scene, was here in Kathmandu to attend the workshop entitled, “Cinema for the new generation” organized by GRAFTII (Graduates of Film and Television Institute of India) Nepal. He was the keynote speaker on the first day of the workshop which began in Kathmandu on Friday. He also interacted with audiences after the screening of his 2008 film, “Welcome to Sajjanpur” at Kumari Cinema Hall.
At the Hotel de l’ Annapurna lounge, Durbarmarg on Saturday, Bengal shared his filmmaking journey. “I was 12 when I made my first film but it was an amateur one,” he recalled, adding, “My father was a photographer and I used his 16 mm camera to make a movie. Films surrounded my childhood. As kids, we were only allowed to watch two films a month but I watched two films a week which was a lot.”
Films inspired Benegal when he was a student; and he formed the Hyderabad Film Society while studying at Nizam College, Hyderabad.
“All around the world, films that are available easily for viewing are mostly American ones and I wanted to break that spell. I wanted to be exposed to the world cinema in the real sense. Establishing a film society helped in that endeavor. We could watch films from all around the world by collaborating with different embassies.”
A graduate in Economics, Benegal started his career in advertising and was a successful documentary film-maker. The world of feature film making however eluded him and he never stopped dreaming.
“I had a very strong script that I believed in it although no one else did. If you have a conviction you must go beyond the areas of doubt in your mind,” he said. And he surely did that. After more than three decades of film-making, it’s his confidence and un-subdued spirit that has established him as a father figure in the Indian film industry.
“Everything you do in life helps you eventually. Whether it’s a degree in economics or your interest in anthropology and politics, it gives you a wider world view,” he shared.
A favorite among critics, Benegal distinguishes between a critic and a reviewer. “There are only a few film critics in India too like everywhere else in the world. You can count them on your fingers.”
For Benegal, a film critic is one who critically analyses a film by outlining the good and the bad, while a film reviewer only caters to a particular audience by telling them if the film could suit their taste. He values the judgment of critics because they help the film-maker see where s/he stands.
As a filmmaker who has always portrayed social injustice and women empowerment in his films, Benegal clarified, “We all have our interests and beliefs. My perennial belief has been to fight back social inequalities and support women empowerment. This belief was there even before I turned into a filmmaker.”
“The Indian and the Nepali society, I assume is highly patriarchal. Men relish the sunlight while women remain in the shade,” he said.
Benegal’s first film, Ankur(1974), was a tale of sexual exploitation and caste barriers in rural India. Shabani Azmi, who debuted from the film as Laxmi, won the “National award for Best Actress” in 1975. Bhumika (1977) saw Smita Patil don on the roles of Marathi film and stage actor Hansa Wadkar. Even his recent films, “Well done Abba” (2010) and “Welcome to Sajjanpur” (2008) exhibit some strong women characters like Vidhya (Divya Dutt).
He can solely be credited for introducing a multitude of talented actors into the Indian film industry. Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Amrish Puri and Smita Patil are to name a few, including a host of cinematographers and technicians who were given a place in his films have established themselves as key figures in Bollywood today.
“I’m proud of all of them. They were all talented individuals and I only provided a platform for them,” mentioned the director.
Having been in close proximity with director Satyajit Ray, Benegal draws from him an immense inspiration. “He was the one director I was able to discuss my work with. He was also the first person I showed “Ankur” to and he really liked it. If he hadn’t liked it, I would have been shattered.”
Currently busy with two projects, the director said, “I’m very superstitious and do not like to discuss my films before anything really materializes. But there is nothing besides film-making I really know. It’s my passion, my vocation and my evocation.”
(This was Benegal’s second visit to Kathmandu. He was previously here to attend the Film South Asia in 1997 as one of the jury members.)
Related story
Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain passes away at 73, family confirms
