Schooled at bishop cotton school, Shimla, he did his post graduation from st. Stephen's college in Delhiin English honours, before joining the acting course at FTII in 1972.
He has been senior professor of acting at whistling woods international (2006 -2010), and was visiting faculty at fine arts institute in Rohtak, Haryana, and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) Kolkata, and Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.
Benjamin Gilani is presently mentor of the screen acting department in the Institute.