Shabana, Om Puri hail decision to honour Benegal

Mumbai, Aug 8 (UNI) Noted actress Shabana Azmi today said the decision to honour legendary film-maker Shyam Benegal with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award was ''a recognition to the kind of socially relevant cinema he has struggled to make throughout his career''.

Talking to UNI, Ms Azmi who made her debut in Benegal's film 'Ankoor' said she was thrilled at the honour bestowed on Shyam Benegal.

''There is no better person than him for this top honour. He is the most awarded filmmaker of our times both nationally and internationally. But, this one is special and has more value. He has struggled bravely to give visibility to socially-relevant cinema in an era of mindless content on screen,'' she said.

Om Puri described Benegal as ''a rennaissance man'' with an impeccable sense of history.

He said Benegal's contribution to cinema is huge as he never compromised on his principles. ''He made films which he believed in and which had social concerns. Besides feature films, he made several documentaries and short films that were educational in nature,'' he said and added that among his major contribution was introducing talents like Amrish Puri, Shabana Azmi, Neena Gupta, Naseeruddin Shah among others to the industry.

UNI