Pather Panchali
Short description
Pather Panchali follows a poor Bengali family living in a rural village, where the father, Harihar, earns little as a priest and dreams of a better life as a writer. He leaves for the city to find work, while his wife, Sarbajaya, stays behind to raise their children, the rebellious Durga and the young Apu, and to look after Harihar's elderly aunt, Indir. The household endures hardship, the disapproval of neighbours and the daily struggle to get by, while the children find small pleasures in the world around them.
Satyajit Ray directed and wrote the film, his first feature, produced with backing from the Government of West Bengal. It opens the trilogy that continues with Aparajito and The World of Apu, and it stands first in the chronological list of the director's films that also includes The Coward and The Elephant God. Kanu Bannerjee and Karuna Banerjee play the parents, with Subir Banerjee as Apu, Uma Das Gupta as the older Durga and Chunibala Devi as Indir.
On IMDb the film holds 8.2 out of 10 from around 41,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 7.8 from a much smaller number of votes. A film critics' rating of 9.4 from 82 reviews places it above both audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Following the film's success, Ray received a grant from the government of West Bengal and filmed the remaining two parts at the urgent request of the Prime Minister.
- The name consists of two words – Pöther and Pächali (in transcription). “Pöter” means “path,” and “Panchali” refers to ancient song poems in Sanskrit, possessing a certain rhythm and a defined meter. That is, “panchali” is a style of versification that was used to compose sacred hymns. The singing was accompanied by music and action involving puppets (“panchali” comes from “panchal” or “panchalika,” which means “puppet”). It is believed that the musical and dance performance “jatra,” which originated in the 17th century and continues to this day, grew out of “panchali”.
- The film was shot over five years.
- Following the film's success, Satyajit Ray received a grant from the government of West Bengal and filmed two sequels at the insistent request of the Prime Minister.
- The first word in the title means "path," the second – ancient song verses in Sanskrit, possessing a certain rhythm and a certain meter, a style of versification that was used to compose sacred hymns.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
