A heartfelt condolence meeting was organised at Osmania University today, January 1, to honour the life and legacy of renowned filmmaker and alumnus Shyam Benegal, who passed away on December 23, 2024, at the age of 90.

The event was presided over by Vice-Chancellor Prof Kumar Molugaram, accompanied by Registrar Prof G Naresh Reddy, and OSD to the Vice-Chancellor Prof S Jithendra Kumar Naik, alongside several other dignitaries from the university's academic and administrative community, stated a press release from the varsity.

Prof K Stevenson, retired Professor of Journalism, delivered a moving tribute, highlighting Shyam Benegal's extraordinary contributions to Indian cinema and his deep connection to Osmania University.

Born in Trimulgherry, Secunderabad, and an alumnus of Nizam College, Shyam Benegal’s early academic journey in Economics profoundly shaped his intellectual and creative pursuits.

In his message, the vice-chancellor emphasised the importance of drawing inspiration from luminaries like Shyam Benegal. He urged students to embrace intellectual curiosity, social responsibility, and the power of storytelling as tools for societal transformation.

The pioneer of Indian parallel cinema, Benegal's iconic films such as Ankur, Mandi, Nishant, and Junoon became milestones of the 1970s and 1980s. He died on Monday, December 23 at Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospital due to chronic kidney disease at the age of 90.