Aparajito (1956, Bengali; The Unvanquished)
As we remember from the first movie, after Durga's (the elder daughter) demise, Harihar and Sarbajaya move into Benares (Varanasi) with their young son Apu for greener pastures.
The beginning of the movie starts with the melodious veena music composed by the maestro himself, Pandit Ravi Shankar. He did the music score, probably when he was not at dizzying heights yet. Even though in black and white, the early part of the film captures perfectly the daily ambience of a typical morning in the banks of the Ganges and the narrow cobblestones stairs and lanes of the roads leading to inhabitants' homes whose members thrive on performing religious rituals. A typical morning starts with the chiming of the temple bells, the recital of mantras and the obligatory immersion of one's body in the cold waters of Mother Ganga to purify one's body and soul and the feeding of pigeons.
A carefree Apu plays around running with his friends learning a thing or two by looking at things and people around him. His father, meanwhile, gets by reciting mantras for the alms he receives from devotees. Things were much better here than when they were back in their village. The couple is worried about Apu's schooling, but they thought he could just continue the family tradition of being a priest.
Then tragedy strikes. Harihar falls gravely ill and succumbs to what looks like pneumonia. Sarbajaya works as a helping hand in a wealthy household. Looking at Apu doing menial jobs for the head of the family, she decides to return to the village on the invitation of Apu's grand uncle. Apu takes up priest apprenticeship with his grand uncle. Yearning to go to school like other kids in the village, Apu manages to convince his mother to enrol him at the local school with her meagre savings. At school, he shines after a visit by the school inspector. He acquires the fondness of the headmaster who encourages him all the way to obtain a scholarship to Calcutta as he metamorphoses into a teenager.
Then starts the slight tiff between the mother who had lost all her known love ones and the ambitious son who wants to get out of the conundrum of poverty and continuing the family tradition. The loving, gentle maternal heart relents, and off he goes to start his studies.
Juggling between working late hours at the printing press to pay for his accommodation and studies, his planned visits home became scarce over time. Apu finds his return to the village a little drag which wears him down with emotional baggage which he finds difficult to deal. Sarbajaya, on the other hand, longs for her son's return with no avail. She is withdrawn and depressed over time.
One day, Apu receives a letter asking for his quick return for his seriously ailing mother. He returns to an empty house. As he comes out of the door, the sad look on his grand uncle's face is sufficed to narrate the turn of events. That is the plus point about this class act movies. They give dignity to grieving and dignifies poverty. They avoid melodrama and over-exaggerating emotions. Nobody wails stumping on their heaving chest.
The following day, despite his grand uncle's persuasion to stay back to continue his family vocation, Apu leaves the village to sit for his college examinations. The end.
Next stop: Apu Trilogy 3: Apur Sansar (The World of Apu)
Memorable quote:
"Apu, don't cry. Parents don't live forever."
Director: Satyajit Ray
Akira Kurosawa once said about Satyajit Ray's filmmaking like this...
"The quiet but deep observation, understanding and love of the human race, which are characteristic of all his films, have impressed me greatly... I feel that he is a "giant" of the movie industry.
... Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon."
This is, in essence, the continuation of the story of Pather Pancholi which Ray directed in 1955. The film is the second offering of the Apu trilogy.
The beginning of the movie starts with the melodious veena music composed by the maestro himself, Pandit Ravi Shankar. He did the music score, probably when he was not at dizzying heights yet. Even though in black and white, the early part of the film captures perfectly the daily ambience of a typical morning in the banks of the Ganges and the narrow cobblestones stairs and lanes of the roads leading to inhabitants' homes whose members thrive on performing religious rituals. A typical morning starts with the chiming of the temple bells, the recital of mantras and the obligatory immersion of one's body in the cold waters of Mother Ganga to purify one's body and soul and the feeding of pigeons.A carefree Apu plays around running with his friends learning a thing or two by looking at things and people around him. His father, meanwhile, gets by reciting mantras for the alms he receives from devotees. Things were much better here than when they were back in their village. The couple is worried about Apu's schooling, but they thought he could just continue the family tradition of being a priest.
Then starts the slight tiff between the mother who had lost all her known love ones and the ambitious son who wants to get out of the conundrum of poverty and continuing the family tradition. The loving, gentle maternal heart relents, and off he goes to start his studies.
 |
Excited to tell mum all the things
he learnt at school
|
| A young Apu |
The following day, despite his grand uncle's persuasion to stay back to continue his family vocation, Apu leaves the village to sit for his college examinations. The end.
Next stop: Apu Trilogy 3: Apur Sansar (The World of Apu)
Memorable quote:
"Apu, don't cry. Parents don't live forever."
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