Actress Frieda Pinto speaks as she arrives for the premiere for the film "India's Daughter" at Baruch College in New York, Monday, March 9, 2015. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
By Michael Balsamo
NEW YORK (AP) --
A rape documentary banned by the Indian government has received its U.S. premiere at a star-studded New York event including Meryl Streep.
Monday's screening of "India's Daughter" at Baruch College started with a candlelight vigil honoring the medical student who died after being gang-raped on a bus in 2012.
Streep told a packed auditorium victim Jodi Singh was not only India's daughter. Streep says "she's our daughter, too."
The documentary was directed by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, herself a rape victim. Its U.S. premiere follows a week of controversy in India.
The uproar focuses on comments by one of the six rapists interviewed for the film. He blamed the victim for taking a bus late in the evening.
"India's Daughter" was first shown on a BBC channel last week.
Indian film directors Shyam Benegal, right, is seen during a discussion on Indian Cinema in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)
Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died after suffering from chronic kidney disease. He was 90.
His contribution to cinema was recognized as a director, editor and screenwriter. He was also credited with a new genre of filmmaking.
Benegal passed away on Monday at Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospital, and his cremation will take place on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing his daughter Piya.
"Benegal had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad. That's the reason for his death," Piya said.
Many paid tribute to the legendary filmmaker on social media platform X.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt wrote that Benegal told stories without pretense. "They were raw and real, about the struggles of ordinary people. His films had craft and conviction."
"Deeply saddened by the passing of Shyam Benegal, whose storytelling had a profound impact on Indian cinema. His works will continue to be admired by people from different walks of life," India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
He was a mentor to top Indian actors, including Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri who made their mark in Bollywood's popular cinema as well.
"I have lost my foster father, a man to whom I owe more than I can say," posted Naseeruddin Shah.
"Shyam Benegal was not just a legend; he was a visionary who redefined storytelling and inspired generations," said actor Manoj Bajpayee.
Benegal came into the limelight in the 1970s, with a series of films that challenged mainstream Bollywood. His films Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), and Bhumika (1977)... Read More
