If you’ve been around here for a while, you already know how much I love watching cinema classics. There is an old saying that “old is gold,” and there is something truly special about watching the very movies that laid the groundwork and gave a foundation to the films we are watching today. Pather Panchali is absolutely one of those foundational masterpieces.
The Film at a Glance: For a bit of background, this legendary film, Pather Panchali (also known as Song of the Little Road)comes from India (specifically West Bengal) and was released way back in 1955. It marked the historic directorial debut of Satyajit Ray and the first chapter of his legendary Apu Trilogy. It’s based on the novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay.
The movie made massive waves globally, even winning the prestigious Best Human Document award at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival, BAFTA nomination, National Board of Review (USA) – Best Foreign Language Film. It is universally looked at as one of the greatest movies ever made, showing the world the raw reality of rural life.
Different Locations, Same Sun Watching Pather Panchali reminded me a lot of Africa – especially the poverty. It brought to mind a local saying we have: We are all under the same sun, but in different locations. Meaning: we face the same challenges. Somewhere in a corner of this world, someone is going through something similar.
The movie takes us to a small Indian village where two siblings live at the very end of the economic chain. You have the older sister, Durga, who will never get to go to school. Because of the family’s deep poverty, even the prospect of getting her married off is a massive, stressful challenge. Then you have her brother, Apu, the favored boy who gets completely spoiled by the mum.
There is this one specific scene that just broke my heart. The brother steals something, yet the mum still blames the sister. The poor girl just runs off to cool down because, honestly, what can you do? Despite the unfairness, she still deeply loves her brother.
I also loved the stolen moments she shared with her grandmother, where she would get her fruits. To this day, I still do not understand why the mum mistreated that grandmother so badly. Even to her death, I blame the mum for how she acted. Poverty aside, this was just an old lady who simply needed a blanket to warm herself up.
A Heartbreaking Ending and a Fresh Start. The ending scenes of this movie were truly heartbreaking. The family eventually has to pack up and start afresh somewhere entirely new.I know that moving away can never completely wash away your past troubles. However, sometimes a fresh environment is exactly what you need—a place where nothing around constantly reminds you of the pain you’ve been through.
For such an old movie, the actors and actresses completely blew me away. Everyone did their part perfectly, but the performances of the grandmother (Chunibala Devi) and Uma Das Gupta as Durga (the older sister)were especially outstanding. Flowers to Subir Banerjee as young Apu, Kanu Banerjee as Harihar Ray (the father), Karuna Banerjee as Sarbajaya (the mother), and Mr. Subrata Mitra, the cinematographer. Fun Fact: Despite being a complete amateur, Mitra went on to revolutionize film lighting. Because they were shooting on a tiny budget in actual mud huts, he invented a technique called “bounce lighting.” Instead of using harsh, artificial studio lights directly on the actors, he bounced the light off large white sheets of cloth to recreate the soft, natural glow of daylight indoors. Today, filmmakers all over the world still use his technique.
Who Should Watch This? I recommend Pather Panchali to anyone who loves old movies and anyone who loves a good, honest story. No surprise twists or turns – you see everything unfold naturally. The film is long enough that you get attached to the characters, and by the end, it feels like these are people you once met in your life. People you personally know.
Grab a blanket, sit tight, keep some tissues nearby, and enjoy this classic from India.
Have you watched Pather Panchali? Drop a comment below – I’d love to know what it made you feel.
