Shyam Benegal: My audience is the same as David & Priyan!

A few years back, when we had spoken to the master director, Shyam Benegal (around the time his BOSE released), he was all praise for commercial cinema and its stars, despite him not exactly belonging to that branch of cinema. He had told us that he admired stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, who he felt were charismatic actors who could lift any project.
However, with WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR Shyam ji chartered out his new brand of middle cinema, which he is continuing with WELL DONE ABBA.
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In fact just this month we had given you an insight into his kind of cinema with our article on Shyam Benegal, the master of middle cinema. When asked about the kind of audience that will want to watch his film, Shyam Babu, instead of giving the expected reply of 'niche' or 'intellectual' audience, had us zapped by saying that his audience is the same as that of David Dhawan or Priyadarshan (Bollywood's master comic directors), but there was one difference! While all directors aim to make people laugh, Shyam Babu does not expect them to leave their brains at home while watching his films. This is the standard line that we hear when we go to watch a David Dhawan or Priyan film! He feels that the audience should laugh and get maximum possible entertainment but the film should have a larger perspective too.
Certainly Shyam Benegal can boast of providing classy entertainment, with a message that serves to uplift the society and get rid of its vices and make the world a better place. And we are sure he will do the same with WELL DONE ABBA!