Shyam Benegal is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time in India. The filmmaker would have turned 91 today. On his birthday, it is worth remembering how calm and dignified Shyam Benegal remained when an interviewer called him “a loser as far as finances are concerned”. In his response, Benegal said that while he might not have been as successful a filmmaker as others, this hardly mattered in hindsight. “That is hardly of eventual importance because I can still survive, make the kind of films I want to make and I enjoy making them.”

The legendary director said that he would gain satisfaction from making films and that he was grateful to be able to do so. When asked which film gave him the most pleasure, Benegal could not specify one title and said that it was like choosing between his children. “They are all very favourites to me. Some have had more heartaches than others. Some could have been better than what they actually turned out to be. But you would hate to admit it to anyone,” the filmmaker stated. 

Benegal is known for his realistic films, such as Ankur, Manthan, and Nishant, to name some. He is credited as the filmmaker responsible for launching the careers of some celebrated actors in India, such as Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, and Om Puri. He passed away not long after his 90th birthday last year. His contributions to Indian cinema go beyond mere box office numbers.