Shyam Benegal: I marvelled at the talent

Shyam Benegal

We seek to decipher when a Shyam Benegal-movie last arrived in cinema halls. Wikipedia says it has been 12 years, while the man himself says it was "sometime in the last decade". Given his long break from filmmaking, there's reason to celebrate his return to direction with the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman biopic, Mujib - The Making of a Nation.

In a chat with mid-day, Benegal describes his film on the founding father of Bangladesh as a story of resilience. "It is the story of a man's vision for a country, and how the nation was thus birthed. A man who created a nation [must have had] a fiery spirit, with insurmountable determination. He steadfastly stayed by his ideals, which is why there is something for everybody to learn, even in this day and age," says the filmmaker.

Founding father of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Having got the support of Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and Rahman's daughter, Benegal says she also provided fodder for the making of the film. Given the filmmaker's credibility, it could be assumed that there would be no place for white-washing. "There was no censoring of any kind from the family," assures Benegal of the film that sees Bangladeshi actor Arifin Shuvoo in the role of the protagonist. He will be supported by other actors from the neighbouring nation.

At a time when filmmakers have faced the wrath of certain sections of society for showcasing content that can be contradicted, is a director of his calibre afraid to present a story on such a volatile subject? "No, absolutely not. We are dealing with recent history. A lot of the resultant issues from the '70s continue to affect our collective consciousness. A filmmaker needs to distance himself to depict things objectively. One cannot claim complete objectivity, but an attempt has to be made. Quite early on, I decided to bring on board the Bangladeshi cast. We went through many auditions before finally locking the key cast. I marvelled at the talent of these brilliant young people."

At 87, Benegal, in the midst of promotions, is in his element. What fuels his cinematic drive to continue telling stories, even as he battles health hazards and censorship? "I wonder if my drive is any different than that of a carpenter who wishes to create a piece of furniture? Creative blocks, and exhaustion are part of the work. You recover from it eventually, and carry on, because telling stories is a way of life. I wouldn't do it any differently."