Analyzing Pather Panchali: The Realism and Humanism of Satyajit Ray

The Realism and Humanism in Pather Panchali

Satyajit Ray is a name which is much revered with in the film world. He is the Godfather of Indian Cinema, a true auteur, and a master storyteller who single-handedly broke the conventional drawbacks of film making during the early 1950s in India. But at the core, he depicted simple stories, simple conflicts, and characters who were mainly drawn upon the ones we are accustomed with which makes us connect more deeply with them.It is his vehement use of realism and lyrical humanism in his films which gave them a universal quality.

A scene from Pather Panchali.

The quiet but deep observation, understanding and love of the human race, which are characteristic of all his films, have impressed me greatly. ...I feel that he is a "giant" of the movie industry.

                                                                                                            -Akira Kurosawa 

Realism in Films

Realism in the strict sense of the term, means the quality or fact of representing a person or thing in way that is accurate and true to life. Realism in films deals with authenticity and reality with which the characters and the setting are established, and emphasize the mundanity, ugliness and sordidness of life. It tends to present life as it is without any artificiality and exotic elements of conventional art forms.

While watching any Satyajit Ray movie, we feel in accord with almost all the characters. They are mostly lifelike, and we can easily relate and empathize with them. This effect is achieved due to the authenticity and reality in the portrayal of characters and setting. Whether it be Charu from Charulata, Dayamoyee from Devi (The Goddess), Aarati from Mahanagar (The Big City) or Siddhartha from Pratidwandi (The Adversary), we have at one time or the other came across them and also perhaps felt the conflict they felt with their lives. This makes them more close to us.

But with his first film Pather Panchali, we find a unique blend of realism and humanism, of art wedded to truth. This movie showed the Indian Audience that cinema can be used as a medium to tell real human stories taking place in real time. Before Ray, popular Hindi film presented cinema as a means of escaping from the realities of life and seeking entertainment in the song, dance and melodrama of Bollywood. Pather Panchali changed the whole scenario of Indian Cinema.

Inspiration for Pather Panchali

After watching The Bicycle Thieves by De Sica in London, Ray felt that his vision of Pather Panchali was similar to The Bicycle Thieves- the use of non professional actors, shooting extensively on real locations, exploring the conditions of the working class, and featuring children in major roles. Also Ray was influenced by the realistic timing of the neo-realists. In a majority of film, simple tasks are often shorter than they would be in reality because there may be a time limit to the film or the director may view it as trivial. But the Italian neo-realist films tried to depict accurately the time it takes to preform everyday tasks. Thus the "long take" was invented, which itself became an art form.

The Train Scene from Pather Panchali.

The Train Scene

Satyajit Ray used the long take extensively in Pather Panchali to make the viewers appreciate the simplicity.Arguably the most beautiful long shot in the film is the train scene. This shot holds itself for twenty five seconds without any dialogues. Durga, to the viewers knowledge, has no concept of power lines. The characters do not live in the city and has no connection to the development of urban life. This clearly portrays the separation of Indians in poverty and the ones living in luxury. Just like the power line, when we see the train, we understand that the train is also something new, something exciting for them. Ray chose to use off screen space and not show the train right away so that the viewers eyes are exposed to the train only when the children see it. The first look at the vehicle is a moment of both the culmination of curiosity and amazement for the children. Ray’s close shot of the train moving helps to convey how strongly they are observing this moving object. In this scene Durga and Apu, despite their poverty, find great joy in discovering something simple- as simple as the train. The simplicity of this scene is however intercut with the cruelty of Sarbajaya against the old Indir Thakrun. While Sarbajaya eats, her sister-in-law looks at her expectantly. She suddenly became so heartless that she doesn't even offer her food. The old aunt leaves in agony, and ultimately meets her death.

The Humanist Aspect

Now, coming to the humanist aspect of the film, both the novel and the film has been critically acclaimed for its humanism.
In his book, Our Films Their Films, Ray says-

I chose Pather Panchali for the qualities that made it a great book: its humanism, its lyricism, and its ring of truth. I knew I would have to do a lot of pruning and reshaping- ...but...the script had to retain some of the rambling quality of the novel because that itself contained a clue to the feel of authenticity: life in a poor Bengali village does ramble. 

The image of the vendor, carrying a basket of joy on his shoulder, followed by Durga, followed by her brother Apu and finally followed by a dog. It makes a magnificent juxtaposition of poverty, innocence and the simple pleasures of life. The two children are poor and do not have money, but that does not stop them from following the sweet vendor- the vendor carrying the sweetness in their otherwise poverty stricken sour life.

Realism in the portrayal of death of a character

After the train scene, when Durga and Apu are returning back home with the calf, they find their old aunt sitting under the bamboo trees. Durga and Apu have never seen death earlier. For them, death is something unknown. Ray's portrayal of death in Pather Panchali, shifts away from the conventional notion of popular Hindi films where there would accompany some dramatic music and artificial reactions on the characters face.There are no tears in Durga, Apu, Sarbajaya or even Harihar's face, but still you can feel the pain and gloom of the death. No amount of production budget and technicalities can achieve what the simple and sincere habit of observation can. 

The Blend of Humanism and Realism

Every frame is a painting in itself – a beautiful depiction of village life or a fascinating study of human nature. However, it is not only the aesthetics that make Pather Panchali famous. The film also makes brilliant statements about human life, poverty and the very notion of happiness. Harihar is an aspiring playwright, and he is respected by everyone, but at the end he becomes completely disillusioned with his work. Sarbajaya, knows that her resentment towards her sister-in-law is wrong, but still she continues doing so. She sometimes becomes heartless and treats the old woman cruelly but she essentially is a good hearted woman conscious about her family.The old Indir Thakrun, though being aware that she has nowhere to go,  leaves the home in angst and agony. But her love for the family makes her return back and back again. Durga, steals and gives the stolen fruits to her aunt. The bond between Durga and her aunt shows the strong familial bond in Indian families between the elders and the younger. Lastly, we are left with Apu. At the end of the film, when tragedy strikes, neither his mother nor his sister is around to take care of him, he takes a dip in the village pond all by himself, combs his hair, puts on a dress and steps out of the house with an umbrella almost as big as himself in his hand. It is this moment, the moment of realisation in Apu that he has grown up, along with the feeling of void in his life left behind by dear ones, that the rest of the film culminates to. . 

Apu, after the death of his sister.

Commenting on Pather Panchali, Ray said:

I never imagined that any of my films, especially Pather Panchali, would be seen throughout this country and in other countries.The fact that they have is an indication that, if you are able to portray universal feelings, universal relations, emotions and character, you can cross certain barriers and reach out to others,even non-Bengalis.  

Satyajit Ray's films may at first feel quiet, gradual and undramatic, but its a testament to his skill as a storyteller that he gently folds us into their pace. His films have an irresistible appeal for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. He is a master of the craft, and knows what his audience wants, but he delivers what they actually need. 

(A video essay on this topic will be available soon on Youtube. The video will be embedded in this article.)