Tribute: Shyam Benegal, A Rock-Solid Legacy

There will be little left to say about Mr. Shyam Benegal, once all of India, and all of the world of cinema pay him tribute. But one can offer a small window into his connection with us in Hyderabad via the wonderful rocky terrain that he grew up around and loved.

A pioneering vision made Mr. Benegal one of India’s most respected filmmakers. He is known as the founder of the Indian New Wave (parallel cinema) starting with Ankur. He was a student from Hyderabad, Nizam College & Osmania University, where he started a film club; The Chairman, Film & Television Institute of India; Recipient of two of India’s highest civilian awards: Padma Shri (1976) & Padma Bhushan (1991). However, despite this almost intimidating level of success, there is a widespread feeling of personal loss in his passing.

For us, the bedrock of our memory of him, is his huge and humbling generosity. Firstly, he was kind enough to make time to view our film (Other Kohinoors, the Rocks of Hyderabad). Further, to speak candidly over the phone strongly supporting the film itself, as well as speaking at length about his profound connection with the rocks. Hearing him share his passion about the very same rocks that we were filming, flooded our effort with inspiration and an urgency to keep going.

A fellow traveller with other Hyderabadis: We are hard put to count the number of Hyderabadis who have shared with us, the same scenario as Mr. Benegal described: about the sense of homecoming that the sight the rocks bring. In his words “Eyes mist when you saw them and came home, as the plane approached Begumpet airport, these stunning rocks signalled home coming.”

He spoke with affection of his father and brother (who was 2 years older than him and had passed away) They would watch movies at the local cantonment theatre in Secunderabad. His father had a camera with which he made home movies, and one can justifiably speculate that this is where Mr. Benegals’ phenomenal journey in cinema began. He spoke about his growing up around the rocks: “In our childhood we would go off on what we thought was adventure trips onto the rocks. We had slingshots and would ‘hunt’ wild rabbits that were abundant.” His first film made when he was about 10-12 years old with his elder brother, was about these adventures on the rocks. One can only smile at the title of it: ‘Chuttiyon mein mauj mazaa’.

His first feature film opened in this rocky landscape. “Ankur opening scene came instinctively and naturally as my first shot in feature film. And the last scene in Nishant, when Naseer and Shabana run onto the rocks…This landscape that I had a deep profound connection to. It could not be in any other landscape.”

“The rocky landscape in Tirumalgiri area, going all the way to Maula Ali and beyond, this was what fired my imagination. In this area, there was an old broken-down house, which I rebuilt in stages as per my shot requirement. Ankur was made where Sainikpuri stands now. Mandi too was shot in the same area. Till about the mid 80’s the city hadn’t changed, after that it changed dramatically.”

These rocks were a part of life here: He felt that these rocks that are most representative of Telangana. “All forts etc. all the way to Daulatabad are made from them. The Waddars with their amazing skill, they cut them like bread and butter, how expertly they do it. In Telangana villages there was always an outside fortifying wall, made of this stone. Part of life. So, when I made my films there was no other way to think of them.”

“They are not like this in other parts of the Deccan. These Deccan rocks that are miraculous and balance and in the most amazing shapes and forms. South of the Godavari it is not like this, the landscape changes.”

He spoke knowledgably and passionately about the formation of this ancient rocky landscape. About the tectonic shifts over millions of years that created our rocky landscape, the Himalayas, the Eastern and Western Ghats... He spoke movingly about them as “among the oldest rocks on the planet.”

We in Hyderabad are lucky to have had a film maker like him honour this landscape in such vigorous ways in so many of his films. We would do well to heed his homage to them and keep whatever we have left in our city. Thank you, Mr. Benegal. Eternal Pranaam to you Sir.