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Pather Panchali

Play trailer Poster for Pather Panchali 1955 2h 6m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 82 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work. Alone, his wife, Sarbojaya, looks after her rebellious daughter, Durga, and her young son, Apu, as well as Harihar's elderly aunt Indir. The children enjoy the small pleasures of their difficult life, while their parents suffer the daily indignities heaped upon them.
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Pather Panchali

Pather Panchali

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Critics Consensus

A film that requires and rewards patience in equal measure, Pather Panchali finds director Satyajit Ray delivering a classic with his debut.

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Critics Reviews

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Frank Morriss Globe and Mail 08/08/2022
Everything about Pather Panchali... points to the beautiful life of the human spirit. Go to Full Review Jonas Mekas Village Voice 04/20/2022
It is most simple, most down to earth, and from the very heart. Specifically it is about India, but actually it is about everybody. The poetry of the film transcends its locality and speaks to us all. Go to Full Review Shubhra Gupta The Indian Express 08/16/2021
Satyajit Ray put India on the world map with this felt portrait of life in a Bengal village... Go to Full Review James Kendrick Q Network Film Desk 03/27/2024
4/4
simple, but not a simplistic, and it is hardly a romanticized paean to childhood, although there are moments of great beauty that remind us how wonderful the world can be when it is stripped of the weight of social responsibility Go to Full Review Moira Walsh The Catholic World 08/24/2023
The film proves to be, rather like The Old Man and the Sea, an artfully devised tribute to the human spirit. The black-and-white camera work is both a joy in itself and a sensitive instrument in carrying out the director’s purposes. Go to Full Review Shadow Stage Photoplay 09/13/2022
3/4
It's a truly amazing accomplishment which Hollywood and its mass- production thinking could well ponder on. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Pramit B @pramit 2d It's arguably one of the best films of all time. Wonderfully acted, directed, and written. Score was beautiful as well. Absolute must watch. See more Cinema S @cinema_sensei Aug 7 Satyajit Ray set the bar incredibly high with The Apu Trilogy, and Pather Panchali remains my favorite. Nothing here begs for your attention, yet everything quietly stays with you. Its simplicity never feels ordinary; every glance, silence, and small moment carries emotion. A beautiful reminder that the simplest lives can hold the deepest stories. See more Prosenjit B @prosenjit08 Apr 24 I still remember watching Pather Panchali on a rented VCD. It did not feel like just a film, it felt like poetry moving quietly on screen. The beautifully directed movie by Satyajit Ray has briliant background score from Pt Ravi Shankar. The cinematography is equally brilliant. The scene of running to see the train running though vast Kaash field is iconic. The shot of them running and also seeing them from the other side of the railway line. And then there is that moment when Apu discovers the chain that was lost, we can assume that Durga did steal it, he picks it and quietly throws it into the pond. The camera shows ripples and the sinking chain which signifies swallow the secret, as if the water itself agrees to bury pain and memory. Then we see a scene of Apu's family leaving and then the snake glides into the empty house says everything without words. Life has moved on, sorrow has settled, and nature has reclaimed what was left behind. See more Abubakkar S @RT67114587 Nov 19 It feels like a mirror is showing us our lives. See more Stephen C @bob25009 06/07/2025 Success in 2 hours and 6 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Bangla and English versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Rohit D @RT02283541 04/09/2025 I don't think I have cried as much as I have while watching this movie. A masterpiece, and absolute cinema. See more Read all reviews
Pather Panchali

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Cast & Crew

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Satyajit Ray

Director

Kanu Bannerjee

Harihar Ray

Karuna Bannerjee

Sarbojaya Ray

Subir Bannerjee

Apurba 'Apu' Roy

Runki Banerjee

Durga Roy

Uma Das Gupta

Durga Roy

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Pather Panchali

Pather Panchali (1955) Pather Panchali (1955) Pather Panchali (1955) Pather Panchali (1955) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work. Alone, his wife, Sarbojaya, looks after her rebellious daughter, Durga, and her young son, Apu, as well as Harihar's elderly aunt Indir. The children enjoy the small pleasures of their difficult life, while their parents suffer the daily indignities heaped upon them.
Director
Satyajit Ray
Producer
Satyajit Ray, Bansi Chandragupta
Screenwriter
Satyajit Ray
Production Co
Government of West Bengal
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Bangla
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 20, 2015
Runtime
2h 6m
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