Hindi
Filmmaker Shyam Benegal unveils poster of ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’
Mumbai: Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal has unveiled a poster of his latest directorial “Mujib – The Making of a Nation,” a biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, known as the father of the nation in Bangladesh. The film is being made under an audio-visual co-production agreement between the Republic of India and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and it was extensively shot in India and Bangladesh.
Benegal released the poster at National Film Development Corp (NFDC) Mumbai, on the occasion of the 102nd birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Speaking about the film, the director said that it has been a tough task for him to bring Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s towering life on the screen. “’Mujib – The Making of a Nation’ remains a very emotional film for me. To bring Bangabandhu’s towering life on the reel is a tough task. We have uncompromisingly portrayed his character. Mujib remained a great friend of India,” he shared.
“I am glad to be working on this feature film. It has always been a fruitful association working with NFDC since its inception and now collaborating with BFDC was a joyful experience,” he further said.
Written by Atul Tiwari and Shama Zaidi, the film features Arifin Shuvoo in the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The star cast includes Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Chanchal Chowdhury, and Nusraat Faria. “Fascinated to be playing the role of Mujib. This is a dream come true. I am honoured to be a part of this iconic project, and to be directed by the legend himself, Shyam Benegal,” said Shuvoo. “I felt the warmth and great hospitality during the production of the film in India. I hope that I have justified the role and the audiences will connect with me and love the film, the way they love Bangabandhu.”
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman provided the political leadership for the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. At the early stage of his political career, he met Mahatma Gandhi who was a great source of inspiration for him to empower the masses, and inspiration that remained throughout his life. The biopic celebrates Mujib’s life and takes viewers into the course of history to depict the great leader whose accomplishments live on.
“NFDC has pioneered films by legendary directors who are renowned the world over even today,” remarked NFDC managing director Ravinder Bhakar. “To be associated with Shyam Benegal ji once again for this project is a great pleasure for the Corporation. Mujib – The Making of a Nation shall be a landmark film in NFDC’s history. Indeed, it is a pleasure associating with BFDC for an iconic film.”
“I am overwhelmed to see the film witness the light of the day. ‘Mujib – The Making of a Nation’ is an emotion for us,” commented BFDC MD Nuzhat Yeasmin. “On behalf of BFDC, I would like to extend my congratulations to our counterparts (NFDC) who have stood with us for making this dream a reality. Bangladesh is eagerly anticipating to watch Shyam Benegal Ji’s version of Bangabandhu’s biopic. He is a legendary filmmaker, greatly admired by all of us.”
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
