Director
Satyajit Ray
Leading Actors/Actresses
Karuna Bannerjee, Kanu Bannerjee, Uma Das Gupta
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Chunibala Devi, Subir Banerjee
Genre
Drama
Language
Bengali
Awards
Won OCIC Award - Special Mention at Cannes 1958
Date of Release
1955
Producer
Setting and Context
Nischindipur, rural Bengal 1910s
Narrator and Point of View
POV is that of Durga and Sarbajaya
Tone and Mood
Dramatic, serious, contemplative
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist are Durga and Apu. Antagonist is the mean aunt, as well as poverty more generally
Major Conflict
The family is extremely poor and in need of money, so Harihar sets out to earn money to bring back.
Climax
The climax occurs when Hari realizes that Durga has died and mourns her loss. The family decides to pack up and move away from the home where Harihar's ancestors have lived for generations.
Foreshadowing
Durga's cough foreshadows her subsequent sickness and death.
Understatement
Hari often understates how difficult poverty is.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Allusions
There are illusions to Indian religion and sacred practices, as well as theater and performance.
Paradox
Harihar has a job in the town, but paradoxically is afraid to ask for the pay that he is owed from the work he's already done.
Parallelism
The mean aunt bringing fruit to Sarbajaya at the end of the film parallels her yelling at Durga for stealing fruit in the opening of the film.
