He won acclaim from critics and audiences even as the gritty stories he put on the big screen grappled with some of India’s thorniest problems.

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Deeply saddened by the passing of Shyam Benegal, whose storytelling had a profound impact on Indian cinema,” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

For those born in the late 70s and 80s, and who grew into adulthood in the 90s, the evolution of Indian television and parallel cinema is a living memory. Shyam Benegal, a visionary filmmaker whose contributions to both industries are unparalleled, was at the centre of this change. With his death, an era in Indian entertainment comes to an end.

Pioneering Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal died Monday in Mumbai following a chronic kidney disease. He was 90. His daughter Pia Benegal confirmed the news to India Today. He had recently celebrated his 90th birthday with friends, family and the likes of Shashi Kapoor’s son Kunal Kapoor, according to the local outlet.

Renowned Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal, a titan of Indian cinema, passed away yesterday, leaving behind an indelible legacy that transformed the landscape of filmmaking in the country. Known as the pioneer of Indian parallel cinema,

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, the pioneer of the parallel cinema movement in Indian cinema in the 1970s and 1980s, was cremated on Tuesday with full state honours and a three-gun salute here