This is a first of three-part review of Satyajit Ray’s widely acclaimed and universally applicable Apu Trilogy based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s classic Bengali novel - Pather Panchali, Aparajito, and Apur Sansar. Apu Trilogy demonstrates that regardless of ups and downs of the life, life will always go on. Every tragedy brings new hope and in same breath, every joy doesn’t last forever.
Satyajit Ray’s debut feature, Pather Panchali (1955) is the complex study of why families are forced to migrate for better life and better opportunities.
Story
In the remote village of Bengal in early 20th Century lives a poor Brahmin Ray family of Harihar (Kanu Bannerjee) and Sarbojaya (Karuna Bannerjee) along with their only child, daughter Durga (Runki Banerjee) and elderly aunt Indir Thakrun (Chunibala Devi). A poet-cum-playwright-cum-priest, Harihar frequently stays out of the village to earn money for family. Pregnant Sarbojaya tries her hard to manage their household with tiny income. Since family doesn’t have enough money to pay Durga’s school fees, Durga spends most of her time wandering and steeling fruits from their neighbor’s orchards. Soon, family has one more member when Sarbojaya gives birth of their second child, son Apu.
As time passes, Apu (Subir Bannerjee) and Durga (now played by Uma Das Gupta) grows up spending their time in remote areas of their village – discovering trains, playing in the fields, cooking food with other kids as secret picnic, stalking candy-man. They are unaware of how their father is unable to earn enough money to support their family and their mother’s daily struggles to keep the family going.
In the mean time, Harihar’s family house is falling apart and needs immediate attention for repair. Harihar once again leaves his family in the village to earn more money after promising Sarbojaya to fix the house before monsoon season. But, Harihar takes unusually long time to return to the village, monsoon arrives, Durga catches pneumonia, and later dies because of illness.
When Harihar returns with success, money, food, and goods, Sarbojaya breaks down looking at new sari of Durga. Because of pain of loosing Durga is getting unbearable for family, Harihar decides to move away from dreaded village to the holy city Banaras for better opportunity to work as priest and earn enough income to support his family.
Analysis
Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy is created as visual poem demonstrating key human conditions like innocence, hope, tragedy, and love (siblings or married couple or parents-kids) without any melodramas or artificial sentiments. Pather Panchali is first part of this series portraying rural life and takes viewers straight into ancient world of simple life where freshly picked fruits are invaluable commodities. It slowly and slowly immerses viewers into nostalgic world of old times showing occasional tension of struggling family culminating into powerful emotional climax.
Pather Panchali is showcase of Ray’s artistic talent. Take an example of scene when Durga and Apu follow candyman across the remote country roads and how Ray follows their reflections on the pond. Another scene when Durga and Apu wandering through the outskirts of the village and discovers the train and Apu runs towards train like he is curious to know what’s out there beyond the village. Another sequences when Durga catches cold and forceful rainy wind threatening her house and how Ray dramatizes the scene.
One of the most wonderful things about Pather Panchali is how things unfold at leisurely pace. Take a look at the scene where aunt is walking slowly when Durga’s mother scold her for teaching bad habits to Durga and later same aunt walks fast paced when she leaves the house (surprisingly watching aunts fighting for her rights are the funny moments of the movie). One of the most poignant moment at least for me was when Durga accused of stealing necklace from one of her prosperous relative’s daughter and mute Apu visibly takes her sister’s side when mother kicked Durga out for whole afternoon and later in the climax, while cleaning the house he found the necklace, he seems angry and sad knowing his sister indeed stole the necklace.
Perhaps real strengh of Pather Panchali is moving characters and brilliant expressions of actors. Kanu Bannerjee as Harihar doesn’t have meaty role but he establishes himself in limited scenes like his breakdown in the climax after knowing about Durga’s death or his tense discussions with his wife over their dwindling fortunes. We see most of the movie through the eyes of Durga and her mother. If Karuna Bannerjee as Sarbojaya works as a spine of the film then Uma Das Gupta as Durga works as a heartbeats of the film. Durga is symbol of free soul who wants to have fun. Since family can’t afford her happiness, she steals fruits and goods from wealthy relatives. Sarbojaya is symbol of self-esteemed Indian woman. She runs the house at any cost, raises the kids, and always worries about their financial conditions.
India’s greatest musician, Ravi Shankar orchestrated Pather Panchali’s background score and how one can forget his playful music when Durga and Apu following a candy seller or apocalyptic atmosphere music demonstrating nastiness of monsoon season when Durga gets sick.
Conclusion
Many film and music scholars all over the world considers Satyajit Ray as India’s finest director and Ravi Shankar as India’s finest music composer respectively. Just imagine, when they worked together at their creative height, they are bound to produce creative masterpiece, and that masterpiece was none other than Pather Panchali. Many considered Ray’s Trilogy as boring struggles of poor Indians but whoever embraced his work feel enriched, rejuvenated, and satisfied. Without any doubt, Pather Panchali is one of the best Indian films produced by true gem of Indian cinema.