Pather Panchali

Play trailer

Pather Panchali

1955

2h 6m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

82 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work. Alone, his wife, Sarbojaya, looks after her rebellious daughter, Durga, and her young son, Apu, as well as Harihar's elderly aunt Indir. The children enjoy the small pleasures of their difficult life, while their parents suffer the daily indignities heaped upon them.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A film that requires and rewards patience in equal measure, Pather Panchali finds director Satyajit Ray delivering a classic with his debut.

Read Critics Reviews

Frank Morriss

Globe and Mail

Aug 8, 2022

Everything about Pather Panchali... points to the beautiful life of the human spirit.

Go to Full Review

Jonas Mekas

Village Voice

Apr 20, 2022

It is most simple, most down to earth, and from the very heart. Specifically it is about India, but actually it is about everybody. The poetry of the film transcends its locality and speaks to us all.

Go to Full Review

Shubhra Gupta

The Indian Express

Aug 16, 2021

Satyajit Ray put India on the world map with this felt portrait of life in a Bengal village...

Go to Full Review

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Mar 27, 2024

4/4

simple, but not a simplistic, and it is hardly a romanticized paean to childhood, although there are moments of great beauty that remind us how wonderful the world can be when it is stripped of the weight of social responsibility

Go to Full Review

Moira Walsh

The Catholic World

Aug 24, 2023

The film proves to be, rather like The Old Man and the Sea, an artfully devised tribute to the human spirit. The black-and-white camera work is both a joy in itself and a sensitive instrument in carrying out the director’s purposes.

Go to Full Review

Shadow Stage

Photoplay

Sep 13, 2022

3/4

It's a truly amazing accomplishment which Hollywood and its mass- production thinking could well ponder on.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Virat T

@virattt Aug 14, 2026

This is like one of the best film I have ever seen in my life, the cinematography is just insanely good and I just can't believe that it's subrata mitra's debut film. Satyajit Ray and Mitra are the absolute goats of "show, don't tell," letting the visuals do all the heavy lifting. This is like the most underrated masterpiece i ever saw. Satyajit ray just made this masterpiece and no one even talks about it.

See more

Pramit B

@pramit Aug 12, 2026

It's arguably one of the best films of all time. Wonderfully acted, directed, and written. Score was beautiful as well. Absolute must watch.

See more

Cinema S

@cinema_sensei Aug 7, 2026

Satyajit Ray set the bar incredibly high with The Apu Trilogy, and Pather Panchali remains my favorite. Nothing here begs for your attention, yet everything quietly stays with you. Its simplicity never feels ordinary; every glance, silence, and small moment carries emotion. A beautiful reminder that the simplest lives can hold the deepest stories.

See more

Prosenjit B

@prosenjit08 Apr 24, 2026

I still remember watching Pather Panchali on a rented VCD. It did not feel like just a film, it felt like poetry moving quietly on screen. The beautifully directed movie by Satyajit Ray has briliant background score from Pt Ravi Shankar. The cinematography is equally brilliant. The scene of running to see the train running though vast Kaash field is iconic. The shot of them running and also seeing them from the other side of the railway line. And then there is that moment when Apu discovers the chain that was lost, we can assume that Durga did steal it, he picks it and quietly throws it into the pond. The camera shows ripples and the sinking chain which signifies swallow the secret, as if the water itself agrees to bury pain and memory. Then we see a scene of Apu's family leaving and then the snake glides into the empty house says everything without words. Life has moved on, sorrow has settled, and nature has reclaimed what was left behind.

See more

Abubakkar S

@RT67114587 Nov 19, 2025

It feels like a mirror is showing us our lives.

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 7, 2025

Success in 2 hours and 6 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Bangla and English versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Satyajit Ray

Director

Kanu Bannerjee

Harihar Ray

Karuna Bannerjee

Sarbojaya Ray

Subir Bannerjee

Apurba 'Apu' Roy

Runki Banerjee

Durga Roy

Uma Das Gupta

Durga Roy

Aparajito

96%

92%

Aparajito

Watchlist

Thirst

100%

90%

Thirst

Watchlist

Jalsaghar

100%

91%

Jalsaghar

Watchlist

The World of Apu

96%

95%

The World of Apu

Watchlist

The Rose Tattoo

67%

73%

The Rose Tattoo

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work. Alone, his wife, Sarbojaya, looks after her rebellious daughter, Durga, and her young son, Apu, as well as Harihar's elderly aunt Indir. The children enjoy the small pleasures of their difficult life, while their parents suffer the daily indignities heaped upon them.

Director: Satyajit Ray
Producer: Satyajit Ray, Bansi Chandragupta
Screenwriter: Satyajit Ray
Production Co: Government of West Bengal
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Bangla
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 20, 2015
Runtime: 2h 6m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings