Divya Dutta recalls last meeting with Shyam Benegal on his 90th birthday: ‘Who would know that it would be the last time…’

Divya also recalled an earlier meeting with Shyam Benegal, where she expressed her desire to work with him in his 1998 film Samar. “He responded by saying ‘Why don’t you come to the office tomorrow?’ I never knew life was that simple because I was used to being told we will see,” Divya said.

Since the casting of Samar was done at that time, Shyam entrusted Divya with an unexpected responsibility. She shared, “I didn’t know what was in store for me. He gave me the responsibility to choreograph the entire dance sequence.” She also reminisced about how the filmmaker encouraged her to overcome her shyness and connect with the team. He asked her to cook with them. That broke the ice and helped her become friends with Rajat Kapoor and Seema Biswas, who played pivotal roles in the film.

Known as the pioneer of the Hindi parallel cinema movement, Shyam Benegal had been battling chronic kidney disease for several years, as confirmed by his daughter Pia Benegal. Celebrities such as Shekhar Kapur, Kajol, Akshay Kumar, Chiranjeevi, and Manoj Bajpayee, among others, expressed their condolences and grief over his passing.

Benegal’s funeral was held on Tuesday in Mumbai and was attended by prominent stars, including Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajit Kapur, and Atul Tiwari.