Pather Panchali

At the heart of the film is the childhood of the young Apu, who lives with his family in the countryside. In his manifesto "What Is Wrong with Indian Films?", written 1948, Ray stated that Indian directors should make life itself the raw material of their films once again. He demanded less glitz, less music, and less mysticism, all paired with an unobstructed gaze for the images and sounds of reality. In 1955, he implemented this manifesto for Indian auteur cinema in the form of his directorial debut PATHER PANCHALI.