Apu trilogy refers to the three films by Satyajit Ray
that revolved around the central protagonist Apu, a young kid in the
Bengal hinterland. Pather Panchali, the first film of the trilogy, was
based on a novel of the same name by Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay. Spurred
by the awesome success of Pather Panchali, Ray made the sequel Aparajito
which also received critical acclaim. Apur Sansar is the third and final
film of the trilogy. These three films are regarded the supreme
manifestations of Satyajit Ray's signature humanist and simple approach
to story telling.
Pather Panchali (1955)
Set in the backdrop of rural Bengal, Pather Panchali narrates the tale
of an impoverished Brahmin family. Apu and his sister Durga are the
children of Harihar and Sarbajaya. The highlight of the film is the
delicate portrayal of the world through the eyes of Apu and Durga. The
film culminates with the tragic death of Durga and Harihar's family
leaving their village for Benaras.
Aparajito (1956)
The film unfurls with the life of Harihar's family in Benaras. After
Harihar's death, Apu and his mother returns to their village and on
Apu's insistence, Sarbajaya agrees to send him to school. Apu passes out
from school and leaves for higher studies in Calcutta. On hearing about
his mother's illness, Apu comes back to his village but Sarbajaya passes
away before his arrival. Apu again leaves for Calcutta.
Apur Sansar (1959)
In the final film of the trilogy, Apu, having completed his graduation,
looks for suitable jobs but finds none. He starts writing an
autobiographical novel and in a rather amusing situation, finds himself
getting married to his friend Pulu's cousin Aparna. After shaking off
the initial awkwardness, the couple develops a cozy relationship which
unfortunately comes to an end with Aparna's death during childbirth. A
heartbroken Apu refuses to meet his son but eventually relents and the
father-son duo leave for Calcutta to start a new life.
