Aparajito (1956) Written and directed by Satyajit Ray, this was the second instalment in the critically acclaimed Apu Trilogy. A Bengali-language drama, the film adapts the final part of Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s novel Pather Panchali and the first part of its sequel Aparajito. Picking up where Pather Panchali (1955) ended, the story follows Apu's journey from childhood to adolescence, beginning with the family's move to Varanasi and culminating in his college years. The cast featured Pinaki Sengupta, Smaran Ghosal, Karuna Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee, Ramani Sengupta, Charuprakash Ghosh, Santi Gupta, Subodh Ganguli, and Ranib. The film’s evocative background score was composed by Pandit Ravi Shankar, continuing the collaboration that began with the first film. When Ray embarked on Pather Panchali, he had no initial plans for a sequel. However, the film's critical and commercial success encouraged him to continue Apu’s story. Unlike Pather Panchali, which stayed closely aligned with the novel, Aparajito marked a departure in tone and interpretation. Most notably, Ray reimagined the relationship between Apu and his mother, diverging sharply from the literary portrayal. This bold creative choice sparked controversy in India. As Ray later recalled, “The suburban audience was shocked by the portrayal of the mother-son relationship, so sharply at variance with the conventional notion of mutual sweetness and devotion.” Set in the 1920s, Aparajito begins with Apu’s family leaving rural Bengal for Varanasi, where his father Harihar earns a modest living as a priest. After Harihar’s untimely death, Apu’s mother, Sarbajaya, takes work as a maid. With the help of a great-uncle, mother and son return to Bengal. In Mansapota, Apu is trained briefly to become a priest, but he yearns for formal education. He excels in school and wins a scholarship to study in Kolkata. Though heartbroken, Sarbajaya allows him to go. In the city, Apu studies and works part-time, rarely visiting home. Sarbajaya, increasingly lonely and unwell, conceals her illness from her son. By the time Apu returns, she has passed away. Grief-stricken, he leaves the village, vowing to honour her memory while continuing his studies in Kolkata. The novel featured Leela, a female character who contributed to Apu's growing distance from his mother during his time in Calcutta. Ray initially cast an actress for the role, but her fiancé barred her from participating, forcing him to remove the character. He later admitted that Leela, with whom Apu had a subtle romantic bond, helped explain his draw to the city. While Ray feared her absence weakened that pull, he ultimately felt the film remained emotionally complete without her. Aparajito was also a landmark in cinematography. Subrata Mitra, the cinematographer for the trilogy, introduced the groundbreaking use of bounce lighting to simulate natural daylight on indoor sets. Originally, art director Bansi Chandragupta had planned to build an open courtyard set to mimic a Benares home, but fears of monsoon rains forced a move indoors. To match the look of outdoor scenes, Mitra innovated by placing a white cloth overhead, resembling the sky, and bouncing artificial light off it. This technique became a hallmark of Mitra’s style and significantly influenced Indian cinematography. The film received widespread international recognition, winning 11 major awards, including the Golden Lion and Critics Award at the 1957 Venice Film Festival—the first film to win both. It also took home the Cinema Nuovo and FIPRESCI Awards, making it the only sequel to have won all three top honors at Venice, Berlin, or Cannes. In 1958, Ray received the Golden Gate Awards for Best Picture and Best Director at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and the film went on to win the Selznick Golden Laurel at Berlin. It also received BAFTA nominations in 1959, including one for Karuna Banerjee. Critics worldwide praised the film. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times noted its "rare feeling and skill at pictorial imagery," while Mrinal Sen called it one of the best Indian films ever made. Ray’s success with Aparajito inspired the final installment, Apur Sansar (1959), completing what Roger Ebert later described as "one of the most critically acclaimed movie trilogies of all time." Over time, The Apu Trilogy has become a seminal influence on global cinema. Directors such as Martin Scorsese, James Ivory, Abbas Kiarostami, Elia Kazan, and Wes Anderson have cited its impact. Akira Kurosawa praised Ray’s artistry, and critic Michael Sragow noted in The Atlantic Monthly that the trilogy influenced countless coming-of-age films. Terrence Rafferty called it “cinema’s purest Bildungsroman.” Following Aparajito, Satyajit Ray went on to direct 35 more films, overseeing not just direction but also screenwriting, music, cinematography, and design. His deeply humanist vision and lyrical style cemented his legacy as a true auteur of world cinema.