Pather Panchali is a 1955 Indian Bengali-language drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray and produced by the Government of West Bengal. It is an adaptation of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's 1929 Bengali novel of the same name and marked Ray's directorial debut.
The film depicts rural Bengali life in a style that is authentic and socially realistic, breaking the rule of the Indian film establishment. Pather Panchali was the first film made in independent India to receive major critical attention internationally, placing India on the world cinema map. It was one of the first examples of Parallel Cinema, a new tradition of Indian filmmaking in which authenticity and social realism were key themes. The film won an award for Best Human Document at Cannes.
The story follows the life of a young boy named Apu and his family in rural Bengal. The film is known for its resplendent photography, informed by its young protagonist's perpetual sense of discovery. The film is available on DVD and Blu-ray, with a new 4K digital restoration, undertaken in collaboration with the Academy Film Archive at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and L’Immagine Ritrovata, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray.
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Cast
- Kanu Banerjee as Harihar, Apu's father
- Karuna Banerjee as Sarbajaya, Apu's mother
- Subir Banerjee as Apu
- Uma Das Gupta as Durga, Apu's sister
- Chunibala Devi as "Auntie" Indir Thakrun
- Shampa "Runki" Banerjee as Young Durga
- Reba Devi as Sejo Thakrun, bitter neighbor
- Aparna Devi as Nilmoni's wife, kind neighbor
- Tulsi Chakraborty as Nischindipur's postmaster
- Haren Banerjee as Chinibas, sweets seller
- Harimohan Nag as Doctor
- Haridhan Nag as Chakravarti, village elder
- Kshirod Roy as Priest
- Roma Ganguli as Ranu, Durga's friend
Minor roles were played by the villagers of Boral, where the film was shot.
Director: Satyajit Ray
Writer: Satyajit Ray
Box Office Gross: $135,342
Distributors:
- Curzon Film Distributors (United Kingdom, 1957)(subtitled, theatrical)
- Edward Harrison (United States, 1958)(subtitled, theatrical)
- Aurora Film Corporation (unknown location, according to credits shown in the film)
- Artificial Eye Entertainment (Region 2 DVD)
- Columbia Tri-Star (Region 1 DVD)
- Merchant Ivory Productions, with assistance from the Academy Film Archive and Sony Pictures Classics (1990s restoration)
Genre: Drama
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 20, 2015