Bhubaneswar, Dec 23 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik Monday condoled the demise of veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, describing him as a "doyen" of Indian cinema.

Patnaik said that his thoughts and prayers were with the family, friends and followers.

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Taking to X, Patnaik said, "Deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of legendary filmmaker #ShyamBenegal. He was a doyen of Indian cinema and his departure is a great loss to the film industry. His socially relevant portrayals were ahead of his time and his towering presence behind the camera will be sorely missed by all. My thoughts and prayers with the family, friends and followers. Om Shanti."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)