Seventy years ago, Satyajit Ray made his directorial debut with Pather Panchali, a film that lives on as one of the most poignant portraits of the resilience of the human spirit. Made on a shoestring budget and cast largely with amateur actors, the film broke with the conventions of Indian cinema and redefined what was possible on screen. Critics continue to praise its realism and humanism, qualities that have inspired generations of filmmakers and audiences.
This collection of essays and interviews traces how Ray’s first work, released on August 26, 1955, still influences Indian cinema and the cultural imagination decades after its release.