The Indian Film Industry has played an important role in shaping the psyche of the nation. It has been primarily a source of entertainment for a people who had few escapes from the harsh reality of a disadvantaged existence, particularly in the period before independence and for decades after. Before the arrival of the internet, city dwellers, particularly, visited the theatres, and at little cost enjoyed the fantastic world projected on the screen. It provided the opportunity to see oneself in a different life and identify with a hero or heroine for a brief while.
While the primary purpose was entertainment, as is the case with all storytelling, films contained important social and cultural messages for the audience. Whether it was the spirit of the freedom movement or social reform in the early years, or the call for breaking the shackles of feudalism and poverty, people identified with the underlying idea. But it had to be done with song and dance, and clearly defined characters. This was the masala that made the movie.
Then came the age of the ‘parallel cinema’, in which the message was the purpose, not so much entertainment. A class of person had emerged that took life more seriously and wanted subtle and complex facts to be communicated. (Some of this work was shaped by the international market, which awards a preferably negative depiction of India ‘artistically’ done.) Shyam Benegal was one of the leading lights of this more intelligent cinema and was universally liked. The reason was the complete lack of a patronizing approach and an understanding of the forces at play. In that sense, he can be described as the standard by which the works of others can be judged. This is borne out by the fact that, among other accolades, he won an astonishing eighteen national film awards. He was lauded by, both, the establishment and the outliers. That he made films in Hindi provided him a wider area of influence, which perhaps the greats of regional cinema have been mostly denied. This came from his understanding of the sensibility of the target audience.
His interest in making documentaries of various kinds has also been mentioned by experts. This obviously emerged from a desire to understand history and society at a more informative level. There are few filmmakers that have contributed so much to the reshaping of the viewers’ worldview. It is hoped that the present generation finds the time to see his movies and have their sensibility enriched by his great vision.
