The Apu trilogy
(Blu-ray)

Title from slipcase.

Pather panchali: based on Pathera pān̐cālī / Bibhūtibhūshaṇa Bandyopādhyāẏa.

Aparajito based on the novels Aparājita and Pathera pān̐cālī / by Bibhūtibhūshaṇa Bandyopādhyāẏa.

Apur sansar: based on the novel Aparājita / Bibhūtibhūshaṇa Bandyopādhyāẏa.

Originally relased as motion pictures in 1955, 1956 and 1959.

Special features: Audio recordings from 1958 of Satyijit Ray reading his essay "A long time on the little road"; interviews with actors Soumitra Chatterjee and Shampa Srivastava and camera assistant Soumendu Roy; excerpts from the 2003 documentary "The songs of the little road" featuring composer Ravi Shankar; The small details, an interview with film writer Ujjal Chakraborty; audio recording from 1958 of a conversation between Satyajit ray and film historian Gideon Bachmann; Making the Apu trilogy: Satyajit Ray's epic debut, a new video essay by Ray biographer Andrew Robinson; The creative person: Satyajit Ray, a documentary by James Beveridge; new interview program with Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore; "The apu trilogy": a closer look; footage of Ray receiving an honarary Oscar in 1992; new program on the restorations by filmmaker koganada; booklet.

Music, Ravi Shankar ; cinematographer, Subrata Mitra ; editor, Dulal Dutta.

Pather Panchali: Kanu Banerjee, Karuna Banerjee, Uma Das Gupta, Chunibala Devi, Subir Banerjee, Runki Banerjee, Reba Devi, Aparna Devi, Tulsi Chakravarti, Binoy Mukherjee, Haren Banerjee.

Aparajito: Karuna Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee, Smaran Ghosal, Pinaki Sengupta, Santi Gupta, Sudipta Roy, Subodh Ganguli, Kali Roy, Ramani Sengupta, Charuprakash Ghosh, Moni Srimani, Hemanta Chatterjee, Ranibala.

Apur sansar: Soumitra Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore, Alok Chakravarti, Swapan Mukherjee, Dhiresh Majumdar, Sefalika Devi, Dhiren Ghosh, Tusar Banerjee, Abhijit Chatterjee.

Two decades after its original negatives were burned in a fire, Satyajit Ray's breathtaking milestone of world cinema rises from the ashes in a meticulously reconstructed new restoration of a family saga. Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road) follows a poor Bengali family living in a village. The boy Apu's development grows as he witnesses the protection of family members' reputations, the relationship of the family group to an elderly 'aunt', and the first confrontations with death. His father's dreams prevail over the objections of his mother so that at the end of the film the family moves to the big city of Benares. Aparajito (The Unvanquished) follows Apu and his encounter with the school system in Benares, and later with the intellectual life at university in Calcutta. Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) shows Apu drawn into marriage out of regard for friendship and for Hindu custom, but ending in his realization of his deep love for his wife. They experience happiness together for one year, until she dies in childbirth and he is left desolate, the stricken father of an unwanted child.

MPAA rating: Not rated.

Blu-ray; region A; full screen (1.37:1) presentation; requires Blu-ray player.

Bengali dialogue; optional English subtitles.