‘The World of Apu’ also goes by ‘Apur Sansar’, and it concludes Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy. I will briefly summarize the first two films. The first film (Pather Panchali) covered the childhood of Apu from birth to the end of childhood as he undergoes a troubling childhood, ending in his father getting a job as a priest in Varanasi (Benares back then). The second film, Aparajito, covered Apu’s preteen into his teenage years when he followed his educational aspirations over priesthood family heritage. This film covers the drama surrounding his early adulthood years. He is an idealist with dreams of becoming a writer. However, he struggles to fulfill his aspirations and falls into further poverty, barely getting by from day to day in a broken-down apartment. Throughout his life, Apu has only seen pain, death, and sadness. His fortunes change when his college friend, Pulu, introduces his sister, Aparna, to Apu. Happiness and romance enter his life for the first time. Will the happiness stay or will the tragedy continue?

Together, the films are an epic that covers Apu’s full coming-of-age journey. I can’t say enough positive things about this timeless classic trilogy by the directing maestro Satyajit Ray. During each journey step, Apu learns something new and his worldview evolves. This film was classic neorealism, reflecting life itself. We can talk about the technicals, including the cinematography, beautiful filming locations, camerawork, pacing, music, and sharp editing. But the acting in this film—what can I say? It was simply exquisite, with both lead actors giving emotional performances. You lose track of the fact that they are acting on camera. Since each film in the trilogy covers Apu’s life at different stages, multiple actors had to portray him. The portrayals by each were incredible. Soumitra Chatterjee, one of the top Bengali actors, plays Apu in this film. Chatterjee plays opposite Indian cinema classic star, Sharmila Tagore, who made her acting debut as Apu’s wife in this film. She later became a national Bollywood icon, celebrated across India for her legendary acting. I was shocked to learn that Sharmila Tagore was only 14 years old during this film, yet she displayed mature mannerisms and expressions of someone older. I felt so enamored with characters like Apu that I wondered what happened to him after the film, only to remember it was just a movie. Ray is an amazing director, and it’s obvious why he is considered one of the greatest directors in film history.

Would I recommend this? Yes. I would recommend the entire Apu Trilogy. The second film, Aparajito, was my favorite in the series. This film comes close, but the ending is not as interesting as Aparajito’s. Hats off to Ray for consistency across the three films.