Contribution of satyajit ray in indian cinema
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The Apu Trilogy
1955–59 Indian film series by Satyajit Ray
The Apu Trilogy comprises three Indian Bengali-languagedrama films directed by Satyajit Ray: Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and The World of Apu (1959). The original music for the films was composed by Ravi Shankar.
The films are based on two Bengali novels written by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay: Pather Panchali (1929) and Aparajito (1932). The three films went on to win many national and international awards, including three National Film Awards and seven awards from the Cannes, Berlin and Venice Film Festivals. The films were produced on a shoestring budget[1] (Pather Panchali had a budget of roughly ₹ 150,000[2] ($45,300[3]—equivalent to $515,200 in 2023) using an amateur cast and crew.[4]
Plot summaries
The three films comprise a "coming of age" narrative in the vein of a bildungsroman; they describe the childhood, education and early maturity of a young Bengali named Apu (Apurba Kumar Roy) in the early part of the 20th century.
With Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trliogy—"Pather Panchali" (1955), "Aparajito" (1956) and "Apur Sansar" (1959)—a stirring new cinematic voice was born. Listed among the greatest films of all time, the trilogy follows the unforgettable character of Apu—a free-spirited child in impoverished rural Bengal who, with his passion for creativity and learning, matures into an urban adolescent and, finally, into a complex, sensitive, battered man. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of re-watching Satyajit Ray's 'Apu trilogy' at the Film Forum in New York. I recall first watching these films in Delhi in the early '90s, and they continue to evoke that world for me: my faded grey apartment building in suburban Mayur Vihar, fistfights on the cricket pitch, and picnics by the ancient Yamuna River, its placid waters gurgling with pollutants. The prints of the films were severely damaged over the years and Criterion has restored them by combining image and sound from multiple sources. This must have been an arduous labor of love. The new versions are in 4K resolution, a concept that feels a bit like the emperor's new clothes. But the prints are indeed discernibly cleaner and crisper, even if in the process they have lost some detail in the spectrum of greys. In recent months, there has been a resurgence of interest in the films and I envy those who will experience them for the first time. The restored prints are currently touring the world and will soon be released on DVD. Recently, the entire trilogy was ranked fourth o
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The Apu Trilogy
First published by Seagull Books in 1985, this updated edition presents the complete film scripts of the three masterpieces, along with an expansive interview with Ray by filmmaker Shyam Benegal, in which Ray talks about early influences, the experience of making the Apu Trilogy, the importance of music, and the portrayal of women in his films as well as other aspects of his craft. Richly illustrated with production stills and numerous sketches by Ray, this volume celebrates a milestone in international cinema and forms an essential document for film enthusiasts across the world.•
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