[Pic: hindu.com]
Shyam Benegal‘s interview to Business-Standard is one of the best interview columns I’ve read in the near past. It’s as refreshing as the energy he holds.
With his latest grand movie Netaji Subhash: The Last Hero, set to hit the screens soon, he talks about his admirations towards Indian cinema and it’s film makers. He admires many of his contemporaries and also the new comers in the same level. From Satyajit Ray to Gurinder ‘Beckam’ Chadha to the mushy mushy Karan Johar, his admiration levels shows his broad spectrum of liking towards Indian Cinema. He was very right when saying about Mani Ratnam, “He is an intelligent filmmaker, with a good control over the medium, and Nayakan is my favourite”. And expectedly he has so much to say on Ritwick Ghatak.
Younger directors, he continues, are looking at cinema in a entirely different way. Their attitude is different. How so? For the older filmmakers, tradition was not be touched and whatever you did, ultimately you had to accept tradition. This is particularly true of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. But the younger lot grapple with tradition, much like they did before Independence. Good he said that and now wait for the arguments to suffice from the oldies. It’s Engrossing. I would have expected that such an sweeping interview would happen with the filmy magazines. He finally opened up with the Business-Standard. Film magazines can go dump themselves. But you read ahead.
kirukkal.com 
11 responses to “Shyam Benegal and the art of admiration”
Thanks for the link.I learnt history through his ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’ which i think is a great achievement.It was authentic,true to its period and well researched.His best movie according to me is ‘Kalyug’.You appreciate it more considering how he adapted ‘Mahabharata’ to contemporary period.
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Wow! What an interview! What a genius!! I was hooked to “Bharat ek khoj” and used to hate the Ramanand Sagar “special effects” laden “epic” that was airing on DD around the same time. The former was such a refresing change. The best part was one got a chance to see performances of most of the theater biggies then. That was, as they say, “Sonay pe suhaga”! And of course, who can forget Vanraj Bhatia’s title score for the series?
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I have been looking to to buy the tapes/cd/dvd’ for the serial Bharat ek khoj. Does anyone have any clue where I can buy it?
Thanks for your help.
Preeti
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hi happen to come across ur blog ….
I had really great appreciation for benegal movies ,especially his tv works like bharath ek khoj and amaravathi ki kahaniyan. Of late both nihlani and benegal seems to be drifted of way beyond their style by venturing into commericial pardigm. I could no reason in someone who could document ray and ghatak, appreciate KaranJohar and others . This younng blood have done more damage to the cinema in India by infusing the phoney themes into it. Indian movie still couldnt get out the mess they created.
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I am looking for Bharat Ek Khoj, if anyone knows where to get a DVD or VHS set of it, please wmail me.
thanks
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Hi,
I am looking CD/DVD of Bharat Ek Khoj, if anyone knows where to get them.. please email the details. thank you
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hello
I am also looking CD/DVD of Bharat Ek Khoj, if anyone knows where to get them.. please email the details.
thank you
mnrao
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hello
I am also looking CD/DVD of Bharat Ek Khoj, if anyone knows where to get them.. please email the details.
thank you
mnrao
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I don’t know about the dvd’s but if you are in America then it is on, every saturday on AZN network television.
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hello
I am also looking CD/DVD of Bharat Ek Khoj, if anyone knows where to get them.. please email the details.
thank you
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i need a dvd too call me if u find one 9899661743
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