Summary: (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/Shyam_Benegal1.thumbnail.jpg)Mr. Shyam Benegal (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0070867/) is one of India's best known film director, who prefers to use the term Hindi cinema rather than Bollywood. A prolific filmmaker he has made feature films, TV films and documentaries and hundreds of advertisement films in India. He was part of the creative team (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/xix-commonwealth-games-all-set-to-roll/132257-5-23.html?from=tn)that designed (http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/10/03/5222567-2010-commonwealth-games-begin) the spectacular opening ceremony (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f12e6390-cf0e-11df-9be2-00144feab49a.html)of the 2010 Common Wealth Games (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y2vTMLzD48&feature=player_embedded#!) (video clip), New Delhi, India. This multi-part one-on-one conversation with Mr. Benegal was recorded in his office in Mumbai, India in 2006. A wonderful storyteller Mr Benegal talks about his childhood and his career in the advertisement industry and how he got into making feature film and the influence of his cousin Guru Dutt (http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Culture/Cinema/GuruD.html) that brought him to Bombay, now Mumbai, the entertainmment capital of India. In Part-1 Mr. Benegal talks about his recent nomination (2006) to the Upper House (http://rajyasabha.nic.in/) (Rajya Sabha) of the Indian Parliament. Earlier this year President APJ Abdul Kalam (http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=India+President&meta=) nominated Mr. Benegal as a member of the Rajya Sabha. His tenure as a Member of Parliament (MP) is for a period of six years. This is the first time that the filmmaker has held a political office. Mr. Benegal (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=wwwkamlabhatt-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26index=blended%26keyword=shyam%20benegal)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwkamlabhatt-20&l=ur2&o=1) was born and brought up in Aliwal, near Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. He relocated to Bombay after graduating with a Masters in Economics from Hyderabad, and instead of joining his cousin Guru Dutt's film production he decided to work in the advertisement industry. He spent about a decade in the advertisement industry before he made his first feature film Ankur (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071145/). After the success of Ankur, Mr. Benegal went on to make films like Mandi (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=wwwkamlabhatt-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26index=blended%26keyword=B0001HN0WC%20), Nishant (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=wwwkamlabhatt-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26index=blended%26keyword=B0001IU54M%20), Bhumika (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=wwwkamlabhatt-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26index=blended%26keyword=B0001IU3EO%20)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwkamlabhatt-20&l=ur2&o=1), Junoon, (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077783/) Manthan (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074858/), Kalyug, (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080982/) Zubeida (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=wwwkamlabhatt-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26index=blended%26keyword=B00005KIUM%20)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwkamlabhatt-20&l=ur2&o=1) and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero Mr. Benegal introduced many talented actors like Shabana Azmi (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000818/), Anant Nag (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0619047/), Smita Patil (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0665599/), and Naseerudin Shah (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0787462/) among others to the Indian film industry. Mr. Benegal has no immediate plans to retire. This interview was originally recorded in Mr. Benegal's office in Mumbai in April 2006.
