Many would consider turning 90 a significant milestone in life, but filmmaker Shyam Benegal doesn’t attach too much importance to birthdays. “We all grow old. I don’t do anything great (on my birthday). It may be a special day, but I don’t celebrate it specifically. I cut a cake at the office with my team,” he said.

This year, however, his loved ones made it special for Benegal on his birthday (December 14). His 90th was celebrated at Bombay Gymkhana in Fort, Mumbai with family and friends, including actors Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Divya Dutta, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajit Kapur, and Kunal Kapoor, among others.

Despite the physical challenges that come with age, including frequent hospital visits for dialysis three times a week, Benegal is committed to his passion for filmmaking.

He told PTI, “I’m working on two to three projects; they are all different from one another. It’s difficult to say which one I will make. They are all for the big screen.” The director’s most recent film was the 2023 biographical, Mujib: The Making Of A Nation.