Pather Panchali
(Song of the
road)
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Pather Panchali was Satyajit Ray's debut film. Completed in 1955 and
honored at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival, Pather Panchali
established Ray's career as a film director.
Pather Panchali was the first of the 3 films made around the
character "Apu". The 3 films Pather Panchali, Aparajito
and Apur Sansar follow Apu as the son, the man and finally
the father. |
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Pather Panchali, is a story about a small family that is very
poor. Harihar Ray, lives in a small village with his wife, Sarbojaya,
and his little daughter, Durga. Harihar is more interested in
writing plays than earning a livelihood. Whatever land the family
had, has been taken away by the neighbouring landlord, as payment
for an old debt. Their house is in bad shape and they live off what
little Harihar earns as the family priest of a few households in the
locality. There is never enough for the three of them, and Sarbojaya
feels very bad that they have to share their home with an old aunt,
Indir. There are constant quarrels between the two, and Indir leaves
home periodically to live at the home of some distant relative.
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A
son "Apu" is born to them and Harihar gets a job as an accountant
with the rich neighbour. Harihar still dreams of becoming a very
famous writer. Sarbojaya hopes to send little Apu to school, and
find a good husband for Durga. Six years pass but nothing really
changes. Harihar comes home with his overdue salary, and the hope of
additional earnings by taking over the priestly duties in a rich
household in another village. He goes to the other village in search
of work. |
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Fundu
Fact |
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The music of
the film was by Pandit Ravi Shankar, the world famous sitar player. |
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The
awards the film has won |
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President's Gold & Silver Medals, New Delhi, 1955
- Best
Human Document, Cannes 1956
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Diploma Of Merit, Edinburgh, 1956
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Vatican Award, Rome, 1956
- Golden
Carbao, Manila, 1956
- Best
Film and Direction, San Francisco, 1957
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Selznik Golden Laurel, Berlin, 1957
- Best
Film, Vancouver, 1958
- Best
Foreign Film, New York, 1959
- Best
Foreign Film, Tokyo, 1966
- Best
Non-European Film, Denmark, 1966
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Indir, who has left home once again, comes back one afternoon, when
Sarbojaya is alone in the house. Sarbojaya refuses to have her back
and the children discover the old woman dead among the bamboo groves
at the end of the day.
Harihar goes away for a week in search of work, but stays away for
months. Sarbojaya, sells all brass vessels to feed the children.
Harihar's letter arrives after five months. |
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seems our luck has turned at last', he says. But before he can come back
home, the monsoon arrives in the village. Durga dances wildly in the
rain, and comes home with fever. Then comes the night of the storm. A
fierce storm devastates the house and Durga dies. Harihar, coming home
at last with his earnings and gifts for the family, does not know that
Durga has died. A sense of defeat leads him to accept a suggestion made
by Sarbojaya long ago. He decides to abandon his home and go to Varanasi,
a temple town, where he might make a better living as a priest.
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