The World of Apu (1959) Apur Sansar (original title)

Director:

Satyajit Ray

Writers:

Satyajit Ray (screenplay)
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (original story "Aparajito")

Release Date:

4 October 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Apu is a jobless ex-student dreaming vaguely of a future as a writer. An old college friend talks him into a visit up-country to a village wedding...

Plot Keywords:

Grief | Father Son Relationship | Calcutta India | Redemption | Insanity

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 4 wins

Cast

Soumitra Chatterjee	...	Apurba Roy (as Soumitra Chattopadhyay)
Sharmila Tagore	...	Aparna
Alok Chakravarty	...	Kajal (as Shriman Alok Chakraborty)
Swapan Mukherjee	...	Pulu (as Swapan Mukhopadhyay)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tushar Bandyopadhyay
Gupi Banerjee		(as Gupi Bandyopadhyay)
Panchanan Bhattacharya
Shanti Bhattacherjee	...	Office Associate
Jiten Bhons
Abhijit Chatterjee	...	Aparna's Brother (as Abhijit Chattopadhyay)
Jogesh Chatterjee		(as Jogesh Chattopadhyay)
Asha Devi
Belarani Devi	...	Apu's Neighbor (as Belarani)
Sefalika Devi	...	Shashinarayan's wife
Biren Ghosh
Dhiren Ghosh	...	Landlord
Biresh Majumdar
Dhiresh Majumdar	...	Shashinarayan
Bechu Singha

Directed by
Satyajit Ray

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay		original story "Aparajito"
Satyajit Ray		screenplay

Produced by
Aminyanath Mukherji	....	co-producer (as Amiyanath Mukhopadhyay)
Satyajit Ray	....	producer

Original Music by
Ravi Shankar

Cinematography by
Subrata Mitra

Film Editing by
Dulal Dutta

Production Design by
Bansi Chandragupta

Set Decoration by
Subodh Das
Chhedilal Sharma		(as Chhedi Lal)

Makeup Department
Sakti Sen	....	makeup artist (as Shakti Sen)

Production Management
Anil Choudhury	....	production manager
Bhanu Ghosh	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nityananda Datta	....	assistant director
Shailen Dutta	....	assistant director
Tapeshwar Prasad	....	assistant director
Amiya Sanyal	....	assistant director

Art Department
Surath Mondal	....	assistant art director
Chhedilal Sharma	....	assistant art director (as Chhedi Lal)
Ramchandra Sindhe	....	backdrops (as R. R. Sinde)

Sound Department
Satyen Chatterjee	....	re-recording (as Satyen Chattopadhyay)
Kali Das	....	assistant sound recordist
Durgadas Mitra	....	sound recordist
Bishnu Paridha	....	assistant sound recordist
Robin Sengupta	....	assistant sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Prabhas Bhattacharya	....	lighting
Purnendu Bose	....	assistant camera (as Purnendu Basu)
Krishna Chakraborty	....	assistant camera
Krishna Das	....	lighting
Anil Pal	....	lighting
Bhabaranjan Roy	....	lighting
Nimai Roy	....	assistant camera
Soumendu Roy	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Ashishtaru Mukhopadhyay	....	assistant editor
Tapeshwar Prasad	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Satyen Chatterjee	....	background music recordist (as Satyen Chattopadhyay)

Other crew
R.B. Mehta	....	processing supervisor

Thanks
Gopin Bandyopadhyay	....	acknowledgment (as Shri Gopin Bandyopadhyay)
B.B. Lahiri	....	acknowledgment (as Mr. B. B. Lahiri)
Ranajit Palchowdhury	....	acknowledgment (as Shri Ranajit Palchowdhury)

Production Companies

• Satyajit Ray Productions

Distributors

• Merchant Ivory Productions (1995) (USA) (theatrical) (restored version)
• Sony Pictures Classics (1995) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Edward Harrison (1960) (USA) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

"Apur Sansar" - India (original title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

India

Language:

Bengali

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Argentina:Atp | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

India

Company:

Satyajit Ray Productions

Trivia:

One of the problems facing Satyajit Ray was that showing scenes of intimacy between a young married couple - such as kissing and hugging - were strictly forbidden at the time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Masterpiece

For westerners, like myself, the beauty and wonder of the Indian culture and humanity of the people was supremely captured in Ray's masterpiece. I've seen the film three times and each reveals new insights.