Event Details

Documentary Film

An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with Cinema Collective

The NCPA has revived the Reality Check film series, which was started in 2014, to promote and encourage documentary filmmakers in India, whose work reflects life and culture in the country today in a provocative blend of creativity and integrity.

The Master: Shyam Benegal
English Film (90 mins)

A feature-length documentary about one of India’s foremost pathbreaking filmmakers, who as a truant schoolboy ran off to the cinema to watch Hollywood and Soviet films. The documentary charts his emergence from advertising to become a leading filmmaker of the Indian New Wave of the 1970s with hard-edged social issue classics like Ankur, Nishant, Manthan and Bhumika through to a trilogy on Muslim women: Mammo, Sardari Begum and Zubeidaa and the hit comedy, Welcome to Sajjanpur, TV serials, as well as his documentary on Satyajit Ray.

The film avoids the usual platitudes exploring the man and filmmaker, with a rich mix of insights by many celebrated film professionals including actors, technicians and commentators, including Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Karisma Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, Om Puri, Surekha Sikri, Govind Nihalani and eminent artist Sudhir Patwardhan. The voice-over has been provided by Naseeruddin Shah.

The documentary, written and directed by film critic Khalid Mohamed, is designed as a
personal homage to the auteur director, for whom he wrote the stories and screenplays of the Muslim women trilogy.

The screening will be followed by a discussion.

Admission on a first-come-first-served basis. NCPA Members will get preferential seating till 6:20 pm.