Pather panchali (song of the little road, 1955)

Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road, 1955) The setting of this film occurs in an upcountry village in Bengal, inearly twentieth century. This film primarily revolves around Harihar, a priest, and his daughter Durga, his wife Sarbajaya, and his old cousin Indir Thakrun, struggling to make a living. The priest is usually away from home on his work missions. The wife, on the other hand, usually spends most of her time at home caring for her mischievous daughter and elderly cousin.
The family is later blessed with a new born, Apu. Play, happiness and exploration dominates Apu’s daily life. A strong bond and relationship also develops between Durga and Apu. They usually play together, enjoy theater, follow a candy seller whose products they cannot afford, and even witness a marriage ceremony (Government of West Bengal). They also witnessed a number of scenes like the death of their aunt, Indir Tharkun. Ina ddition, Durga was accused for stealing someone’s property. She even falls ill after participating in a joyous dance during the rains of monsoon (Government of West Bengal). One day on a stormy day when his father was away to work, Durga suddenly dies.
This caused the family pain and grief and hoped to find a better life somewhere outside Bengal. The family decided to leave their village and relocate to Benaras, in search of a new and better life after their father returned from work. The film ends with a scene of Harihar, Sarbajaya, and his son Apu, slowly moving away from home in an ox cart.
Works Cited
Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road). Dir. Government of West Bengal. Perf. Kanu Banerjee. 1955.