Kumar Shahani was an award-winning director and screenwriter who began his career in 1967 by directing the short film ‘Manmad Passenger’. Known for being a part of India’s new wave cinema, he directed his first feature film ‘Maya Darpan’in 1972 and later followed it up with films like ‘Maya Darpan’, ‘Tarang’, ‘Khayal Gatha’, ‘Kasba’ and ‘Char Adhyay’, etc. He was a recipient of the Filmfare Award – Best Film (Critics) thrice while he won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi for ‘Khayal Gatha’ (1989) and the National Film Award for Best Biographical Film for ‘Bhavantarana’ (Oriya documentary) in 1991. He breathed his last on 24 February 2024 in Kolkata.