The Apu Trilogy

Thanks to some cheap schemes in the UK to watch good movies,easy accessibility and other such due acknowledgements I consider myself lucky to have watched this trilogy.

I had always shied away from Satyajit Ray for some unknown reason.One of the most overt ones being that being an Indian director,I could lay my hands on his works anytime.That is not the reason I know.But once I watched Pather Panchali,I realized my mistake.The extra ordinary timing of the movies was that while also watching the Apu Trilogy,we were also watching the Colours Trilogy,by Krystof Keislowski.Both lyrical.Both masterpieces.

What one person did with Blue,White and Red,the other achieved with Black,White and Grey.
Some things that ought to be mentioned is his proficiency in working with child artists.Children generally spoil the movie.They are either too precocious or plain irritating.Who in Tamil or Malayalam is called an Athigaprasangi.But Ray absolutely makes little wonders of joy.Right from the little Apu,to Kajal,Apu's son in the third part,they are all so innocently mischievous and real that one has to acknowledge his directorial excellence.One reason why he thinks children react so well to his instructions is in his own words "I treat them as adults...I give them whispered instructions..and I never let anyone on the sets mollycoddle them".

Pandit(no wonder they call him that) and Subrata Mitra make no mean contribution to the movie too.Sharmila Tagore in Apur Sansar is a pure joy to watch.Also watch out for the trains,smokes and water bodies.The trademark motives that underline Rays these three works.