Shyam Benegal is one of India’s greatest independent filmmakers, who as a truant schoolboy ran off to the cinema to adore Hollywood and Soviet cinema. After establishing a career in advertising, he later became a leading filmmaker of the Indian New Wave of the 1970s with hard edged social issue classics like Ankur, Nishant, Manthan and Bhumika through to more modern hits like Zubeidaa and the hit comedy Welcome to Sajjanpur.
On Wednesday 29th May 2024, LIFFs festival director, Cary Rajinder Sawhney and Sangeeta Datta from Baithak were joined by a range of inspiring speakers to celebrate 50 years of Ankur and Parallel Cinema in India. Shyam Benegal also make a rare appearance to speak at this live event.
