When Shyam Benegal Admitted Being Envious Of Cousin Guru Dutt's Work

In an interview, Shyam Benegal reflected on his complex admiration for his second cousin, legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt.

For the unversed, director and actor Guru Dutt was Shyam Benegal's second cousin.

Source : IMDb & X/@taran_adarsh

New Delhi: An era in Indian cinema came to an end with the death of renowned director Shyam Benegal on Monday evening (December 23). His passing has revived memories of his relationship with Guru Dutt, another iconic Indian filmmaker. Benegal, who was Guru Dutt's second cousin, often spoke about the profound influence Dutt had on his own journey into filmmaking.

Shyam Benegal and Guru Dutt's Family connection

For the unversed, Shyam Benegal's paternal grandmother and Guru Dutt's maternal grandmother were sisters, making them second cousins. When Benegal came to Mumbai to pursue a career in films, he sought guidance from his cousin Guru Dutt.

Shyam Benegal's Admiration and Envy for Guru Dutt

Last month, in an interview with Samdish Bhatia, Shyam Benegal remembered his feelings for Guru Dutt's cinematic vision. He said, “I used to envy him, not admire him so much, just envy him because of his success. As a filmmaker, I used to be very critical of his work, but the fact was, I used to admire him because of his success. He had a very restless mind and constantly experimented, even if not all of it was successful.”

Speaking fondly about his filmmaker cousin, he said, "He (Guru Dutt) used to try out different things, often without success. I mean, he made some wonderful films like Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. But he also made Kaagaz Ke Phool, which completely fell on its face."

Shyam Benegal's Death

Legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal has passed away at the age of 90. He breathed his last on December 23 in Mumbai. 

Shyam Benegal began his career as a copywriter before venturing into filmmaking with his first documentary, Gher Betha Ganga, in 1962. He soon became a pioneer of India's New Wave cinema with his early feature films, including Ankur (1973), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), and Bhumika (1977), which earned him widespread recognition.