Movies by Shyam Benegal

Mujib: The Making of a Nation
Biopic on the father of the nation of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The film will showcase his growing up as a child to his standing up against all injustice in his youth to fighting for the independence of his country. How he led a country to it's independence with his inspirational presence and fight for the justice.

Indian Youth: An Exploration
A documentary on the life of the youth in post-Independence India.

Zubeidaa
Zubeidaa, an aspiring Muslim actress, marries a Hindu prince to become his second wife. Her tumultuous relationship with her husband, and her inner demons lead her to a decision which has fatal consequences for them all.

Nehru
Divided into three parts — The Awakening, The Struggle, and Freedom — this is a biographical film on Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India. Relying on Nehru's writings and speeches, the film traces the evolution of Nehru from his birth through his life. It also deals with the effect of history on Nehru and in turn his impact on the world.

The Making of the Mahatma
The struggles of Mohandas Gandhi in South Africa.

The Market Place
The denizens of a brothel deal with internal drama, as well as pressure from greedy land developers and an anti-sex work politician to leave town.

Ankur: The Seedling
Laxmi lives a poor lifestyle in a small village in India along with her husband, Kishtaya, who is a deaf-mute. Both husband and wife work for the wealthy landlord. The landlord's son, Surya, has to cancel his studies and return home to look after the estate, as well as formalize his marriage to Saroj, the girl he was compelled to get married to when he was very young. Shortly thereafter Kishtaya is apprehended stealing toddy from the fields, is severely beaten, left senseless, and when he recovers he absconds, leaving Laxmi alone to fend for...

The Churning
A veterinarian, Dr. Rao, makes a visit to a village, where he intends to commence a co-operative society dairy for the betterment of the rural people. The film is set against the backdrop of the White Revolution of India (Operation Flood) which started in 1970. It was entirely crowdfunded by 500,000 farmers who donated Rs. 2 each.

The Sage from the Sea
The film involves the life of a young man who comes to believe that he has been bestowed supernatural powers. As the story unfolds, this boon eventually leads to a tragedy.

Past, Present, and Future
Set in 1961 Goa, this is a story of a rich and influential Goan family and what happens to them over a period of time. The movie is narrated in past-tense by one of the friends of the family.

Fertility
Family Planning issues in a Muslim Hyderabadi family struggling between new and old values

Charandas the Thief
The film is derived from a classic folk tale, originally narrated by Vijaydan Detha, and interpreted as folk play by Habib Tanvir. The film charts the tumultuous life of a petty thief, Charandas (Lalu Ram). Curiously he is a man of principles – an honest thief with a strong sense of integrity and professional efficiency. He makes four vows to his Guru, that he would never eat in a gold plate, never lead a procession that is in his honour, never become a king and never marry a princess, thinking all of them are far out possibilities for him. ...

The Essence
A story about the "Ikat" handloom weavers of Pochampally through the master weaver Ramulu and his family struggle in time of mass-production.
The Conflict
In a small village in Madhya Pradesh, two different communities fight over a water pump installation. When a member of one of the communities, Nathu (Kishore Kadam) decides to protest against a decision he feels is unjust, he angers the local land owner, who decides to impose economic sanctions on the community in an effort to starve them out of the village. When Nathu's house is burned down in mysterious circumstances, Nathu seeks the comfort of a temple, and prays for a solution. Instead he finds himself abused and beaten by the land owner...