Apur Panchali (2014)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Good concept, poorly executed.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

If you didn't watched the apur trilogy.i recommend to don't watch this movie.it's a remake of apu trilogy.full of spoiler.sorry for my bad English. review of apur trilogy-it's a tale joy of and tragedy, unmatched in its beauty and profound emotion. Satyajit Ray's final film in the Apu trilogy ranks with King Vidor's "The Crowd" and Carl Theodor Dreyer's "Ordet" as a cinema landmark of family life. But it far exceeds those films in its visual poetry. Apu's journey with a friend and his unplanned marriage sets the stage for a story of domestic life in all its simple joy and awful despair. The serene, contented beauty of the girl is a soaring vision, matched in its humanity only by the broken heart of Apu when she dies. The pages of an unfinished novel, a life's work floating in the mountain air like the seeds of a dandelion, become the symbol of Apu's devastation. The rebirth of life and hope realized in the child illustrates a fundamental belief of Hinduism. Beautifully photographed and edited, "The World of Apu" is a masterpiece of film as narrative storytelling. It is the most "Indian" of all Indian films.

Let me start off by saying that I don't remember much of the Apu trilogy, because I was at an age where Arnie in 'Predator' or 'Commando' made a bigger impression on me than someone depicting the vagaries of Indian life, that too in the stilted framing of yesteryear, that too in monochrome.When I heard that this one was playing in town, and that it showed the life of one of the more largely ignored child actors of all time, I was interested in seeing that aspect of life, because, let's face it, I am at an age now where I understand how it is to be ignored, to be neglected, and yet plod on with life like a (for lack of a better simile) zombie does.This movie is framed very interestingly, with 3 narratives criss-crossing simultaneously. 1, the near-present, where a FTI student takes the old man through the motions of traveling to Germany to be felicitated for being 'Apu'. 2, that part of the ignored, frustrating life this old man had, after tasting near-success with his childhood acting stint, where he;s trying to go through the motions of being a dutiful householder. 3, and perhaps the most intriguing choice of all, since it (IMO) does not serve the main narratives much except as a curio/diversion, portions from the Apu trilogy that mirror this householder's life, where we're supposed to understand that he's living through his painful present, whilst re-living their memories from the shoot.The technical aspects are great, with the footage and the flashback framed in monochrome, and the near-present portions filmed in color. The score is sparse, yet magnificent, rivaling the other masterpiece of scoring this year, from the Indian Indie diaspora - Aankhon Dekhi.I now have a crush on Parno, and for me, all her interactions with Parambrata, though few and sparse (that word again), clichéd, yet supremely sweet, always put a smile on my face. Contrast this with the darkness that pervades the protagonist's life, and you have quite a few sweet memories to cherish, like he does all through.I thought the director's grasp on his craft was found wanting with a few in-your- face/unsubtle choices he made initially, but though they do remain as fact, he more than makes up for it by staying on-target, and delivers a simple peep into the not- so-special life of another Indian living in obscurity. Pity they didn't get the real Subir to enact it all, and a testimony to the actor/s who did, making us forget that this is a movie, not a slice-of-life.Not to be missed at the local multiplex.

First I want to praise Koushik Ganguly for his effort of bringing Apu again in the world of movies. We all know Apu as a character in Satyajit Ray's "Pather Panchali". But in the movie we can see that Apu is not only a character, he is a boy, a boy we can find in every corner of our villages who grew up among the paddy fields and struggle in their lives when they lose their close ones. Mr. Ganguly also focused on the life of a famous child actor who was once famous but with time gets forgotten and with that the effect of that past fame in his life. But here Subir Banerjee's(the actor who played Apu in "Pather Panchali") life is compared with the life of Satyjit Ray's Apu by showing few clips of "Pather Panchali" and "Apur Sansar" in the movie. Mr. Ganguly brilliantly compared their lives and surprisingly their lives were same in multiple aspects. And also hats off to the actors specially Parambrata Banerjee who played the role of young Subir Banerjee. Of all the scenes in the movie I liked the scene when Subir mistakenly enters in the film set of a movie when he saw a child actor acting in the movie. The fact that he still misses the famous child actor in himself was brilliantly represented. Also I like to mention the scene where he hears the news of his wife's suicide in his Boss' telephone. But i felt that the representation of present day Subir Banerjee was not that good(considering the overall quality of the film). And the transition between the scenes of this film and "Pather Panchali" could have been done in a slight better way. In the end I want to congratulate Koushik Ganguly for successfully making a film based on a new and interesting concept in a brilliant way and setting a milestone in the world of movies(specially Bengali movies).

ApurPanchali is 97 minutes of pure cinematic delight. A simple, heart-wrenching movie devoid of violence, unnecessary songs,unnecessary titillation. Amidst mostly trash movies being churned out all around, Apur Panchali is like a breath of fresh air which will leave you with happy moments as well as a lump in your throat. Its a collage of moments dipped in nostalgia, a look back to the age and simplicity we have left behind and the tale of an ordinary man told in an extraordinary way. Kudos to director Kaushik Ganguly for writing such a brilliant screenplay. The way he creates a parallel between the real life of a man and the resemblance with the trilogy scene by scene is commendable. A splendid narration of the tale of a man destined to be Apu all his life; not just an attachment to the name, but the life of the character itself. When else can truth be stranger than fiction when your reel life stint uncannily directs your real life and you inexorably live with it. The most celebrated child actor in world cinema who has led years of oblivion,miles away from the arc lights, cannot forget how as if the Apu Trilogy was written for him to act. The sad part being he had to act it painfully in his real life. And how beautifully that dilemma,pain,frustation has been portrayed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Ardhendu Banerjjee. Ardhendu Banerjee is a revelation. The way he stares marks him as a lonely man battered by the vicissitudes of life. The making and breaking with the romanticism around Apu will make you realize that their are things in life beyond mobile phones and popcorn tubs in the hall. Parno Mittra will steal you heart away with her innocence,sweetness and naivety.She will make you smile and make you cry within hardly 5 minutes of screen timing alloted to her. The sweet and subtle romance between Parambrata and Parno in those short moments will make you want to fall in love. Lovely cinematography by Shirsha Ray and fantastic direction by Kaushik Ganguly proves that he is one of the best filmmakers we are fortunate to have now. Indraadip Das Gupta 's music will just haunt you. He has taken the iconic musical piece of Pather Panchali by Pandit Ravishankar to a different level and what an auditory treat it is! A balm for the soul hurt in cacophony all around. The film starts with that music, plays all throughout and ends with it and yet you never feel bored. You just want it to go on and on. Seldom seen just a beautiful interval and ending. Truly portrayed brilliantly by the actors and Indraadip Dasgupta's lilting music accentuates the poignancy. Tears well up and flow unknowingly at many a moments. Ardhendu Banerjee moists your eyes when he sadly keeps staring at the curtains made by his long deceased wife. His bonding with Gaurav Chakraborty is endearing and he too is another revelation in this film. Parambrata simply wrenches out your heart in the end when he tears off the armlet tied around his hand in anger and pain. The scene can move even a rock to tears. The look he gave while his wife was lovingly tying it fills your heart with romance and at the next moment when he realizes how uncannily he lost her like Apu in Apur Sansar, he breaks down in tears and you cannot help a drop or two roll down our eyes. These moments create Apur Panchali .The winding road which Apu or Subir takes at the end reaffirms that you don't need a huge budget or foreign locales to make a beautiful film. There are places closer home and emotions close to the heart. Even today a tiny room on the terrace is way more romantic than a posh high rise and Apur Panchali proves it. Was haunted by its aura , still is and will be for days.P.S. People who go to movies just for sheer entertainment, or are not emotional and do not like to slow down, prefer receiving calls in the hall please avoid and spare the others.