Apur Panchali (2014)

First of all accolade for Kaushik Ganguly for creating this masterpiece. A life story told/depicted in such a brilliant manner; such that it has turned out to be an unforgettable cinematic experience...a milestone in not only Bengali cinema but in world cinema as a whole. Watching 'Apur Panchali' is like regressing back to the world of Satyajit Ray...reliving those characters, those moments after almost 60 years. Now that's quite a magical experience indeed! I have watched many a movies of Kaushik Ganguly and he is no doubt a fantastic director. But with 'Apur Panchali' he has made his mark as one of the greatest. He definitely deserves the Silver Peacock award! Everything been sublime with Apur Panchali..say it the direction, the casting, the casts' performance and most remarkably that (recreated) background score..its simply fantabulous! Over all, a never to miss, a perfect once in a lifetime creation that you would like to cherish in your heart for ages just like Ray's Apu Trilogy. Moviewise 9 and +1 for Kaushik Ganguly....for gifting us this wonderful piece of cinema after a long long time

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.

The beautification of this movie has increased by showing three different but related stories simultaneously and I am pretty sure it was a very tough job to edit a movie like this. As the name reveals, the story is about the forgotten hero of Pather Panchali's "Apu" whose real life name is Subir Banerjee. It shows how a movie changed his life and the uncanny similarity between Apu and Subir Banerjee.All actors of this movie did awesome job, it is hard to compare them, Ardhendu, Param, Parno, all of them were superb. But the most beautiful part was the story telling process, kudos to Kaushik Ganguly for such a movie and personally I feel this movie should be considered as a landmark in bengali movie history.

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.