Shyam Benegal is the best-known and most prolific contemporary filmmaker from India's arthouse or 'New Cinema' tradition. From Benegal's first film "Ankur" (1974) through to the recent hit "Zubeidaa" (2000), his films have explored the contradictions and tensions of a society in rapid transition with a uniquely powerful focus on female protagonists. Sangeeta Datta traces Benegal's career with its beginnings in political cinema and its realist aesthetic.She demonstrates how the struggles of women and the marginalized in Indian society have found an eloquent expression in films. The book also traces Benegal's work with collaborators including many of the biggest names in commercial cinema - Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, and more recently Karishma Kapoor, Govind Nihalini, and A. R. Rahman - developing a style and ethos uniquely his own. In this first major overview of the director's work, Datta explains how Benegal presents both a stark contrast to Bollywood and yet also maintains many creative continuities both with commercial cinema and his distinguished predecessor Satyajit Ray. She shows how no other director has come close to painting such a compelling and vivid portrait of modern India.