Chalam Bennurakar was a college dropout and worked as a signboard painter for sometime before he became part of CIEDS Collective and Vimochana in Bangalore. As part of CIEDS Collective, he had initiated Janamadhyam, a screening network and production infrastructure for grass root action which he continued informally even after he left the Collective through Touring Talkies. He contributed to the film society movement in Bangalore through the Bangalore Film Society and Odessa in Kerala by creating a space for young filmmakers to showcase their works. He conceived of Sakshi in 1998, a first-of-its-kind initiative showcase documentaries from all over the world and to create a platform for Independent Documentary Film Makers in India.

Chalam was well known for his literary writings in different genres – short stories, essays, poems, translations which have been published in journals and magazines.

His documentary All About My Famila made him the voice of the transgender community. His other films include Kunde Habba, a unique festival of the tribal people in Kodagu, Naavu Yeravaru , on the Yerava community and a documentary on the earthquake disaster that struck Latur, Maharashtra in 1993. He also co-produced and worked on Bishaar Blues, on the fakirs of Calcutta, with Amitabh Chakraborthy. His films in progress include one on the Dongri Garsias and another on Burns Survivors for Vimochana, a forum for women’s rights.

He passed away at the age of 62 in early May 2017.