Pather Panchali is not just a movie. It was a directorial achievement of a different kind, which changed the face of Indian cinema for the world. Combined with the other two films of the Apu Trilogy, this film, an achievement in itself, brought Indian cinema out of its doldrums and defined a genre which was different from the musical romance which had become a more-than-regular feature of Indian movies.
Spoiler alert: Plot details follow
Based on the novel of the same name by the Bengali author Bibhutibhushan Banerjee, the movie is centered on a poor family in a remote Bengal village, struggling to make both ends meet. The man of the house is frequently away from home, and the movie concentrates on the patient mother trying to train the mischevious Durga, and trying to control the kleptomaniacal instincts of the aged aunt, Indir Thakuran. That’s when Apu, the focal point of the film, is born; happiness, play and exploration become the central theme. The bond which Apu shares with Durga is an intimate one, something to be cherished and enjoyed for life. Death comes early in the film, when the two kids unknowingly stumble upon the lifeless body of Indir Thakuran in the woods. Then the monsoons come to village in a joyous riot of colors, sounds and scents - the children are enthralled and captivated. Durga gets drenched to the bone in a joyous dance in the rains, as Apu, scared and mortified, cowers under a tree. Durga falls ill soon after reaching home - she has quite clearly caught a pretty bad cold - and on a stormy night, as Sarbojaya (Durga’s mother) tries her best to close the doors of the house to the rain and the storm which buffets their paltry residence, Durga dies. This represents the sad climax of the film, and a heart-broken family leaves for Benares, in the hope of a new and better future.
The last time I saw Pather Panchali was when I was twelve years old, and needless to say, the beauty of the film failed to impress me, child that I was. Watching it on restored DVD with clear scenes was an enriching experience. This was Ray’s first film, made immortal by the monumental struggle which he had to go through to finally complete it.
Pather Panchali impresses in many ways, through many angles. Quite importantly, it shows how to show drama on the big screen without indulging in overt melodrama. It’s a lesson in subtlety and is a film which recognizes that the viewer is an intelligent person, and can make certain deductions on his own. Apu, from his birth is a moody kind of a boy, whose bond with his sister Durga is shattered cruelly, just when it was starting to get fonder and closer. This in turn sets the pace and the mood for the other two movies of the trilogy, in no small manner. In a way, there is one scene in the movie which defines Apu’s character in the movie - the scene in which he throws the necklace which Durga had clearly stolen, into the waters of the pond. Apu is shown not as an idealist of sorts, who doesn’t have something clearly decided, a kind of a person with a vague dream in life, nothing solid, nothing consolidated. The cinematography is exquisitely beautiful - the two children running through a field of white kaash flowers represents the carefree life and the uncluttered mind of a child, and is a reflection of the director’s mind at the same time; the wonder in the eyes of a child at the first sight of a train representing the promise of a big city and better times, is etched beautifully on celluloid. The trian is not just an integral part of the movie, it becomes an integral part of the trilogy, separating and uniting people in parts. Ray’s movie shows the tranquil, yet hard life of an impoverished village, and revels in the small joys of life - right from Durga and Apu, greedy yet penniless, running after the sweet seller with a dog in pursuit; the opulence of an Indian wedding ceremony, providing a brief glimpse into Durga’s never-to-be-fulfilled dreams...
The actors in the movie are all cast from life, perhaps taking a page from the Italian neo-realists who were a major inspiration behinds Ray’s directorial ventures. Probably the most extraordinary yet under-rated performer in the movie, is Chunibala Devi, who plays the part of the greedy aunt, Indir Thakuran. With no possessions, and thrown out by Sarbojaya, she moves from door to door, pleading for a place to stay; and finally accepts her lot and dies. Each character is etched to near perfection with Ray’s lens, and the beauty of nature is captured beautifully in black and white, from the drops of the first rains of monsoon on a bald head, to water-flies on lotus ponds, the movie seems to revel in the idyllic beauty of the countryside at one time, and plunges into deep moving and relentless pathos at another.
Pather Panchali is a deeply moving film, and possibly a film which defined the neo-realist movement in India. Aparajito and Apur Sansar were two extremely likeable films, but somehow, what made Pather Panchali special, was it’s rustic beauty, the rawness in the treatment, the directness in the finishing touches. It’s a film to be treasured and enjoyed with every repeat viewing.