Panther Panchali

Panther Panchali stands out among its other Indian film counterparts through its dedication to realism, but what makes the movie profound is that it retains the expressive elements of music that play a role so heavily in Indian entertainment as a whole while still offering a different perspective of an Indian drama. The film captures the life of a poor family living in rural Bengal, Karuna is a hard working mother of two children Apu and Durga who are both frequently caught up in troubling situations as both witness and the culprits of the trouble, their father Harihar has unrealistic dreams of becoming a writer and contributes to their financial instability by putting off the relevant concerns for the sake of his intended wealth as a writer. How the film displays Indian culture even under the limits of poverty is done beautifully in that it does not shy away from death and misfortune but in the way that in the midst of such suffering beautiful music and rituals can be seen interwoven into daily life giving the bitter realism a bearable if not a rustically pleasing aspect to the film. As Shambu explains in his Essay “The Apu Trilogy: Behind the Universal” India was not used to a film that was as dedicated to the “delicate realism” that this film displayed which can be attributed to its success in India and internationally as well (Shambu,2015). Although it should be pointed out that music serves a more integral role to the film then just a vague pleasantry, In scenes where few words are exchanged the communication of emotion is conveyed through intense close face shots of the characters combined with the appropriate music tone. A good example of this is when Durga is accused of stealing by neighbors and as a result Karuna is partially blamed for her behavior. After the accusers leave Karuna ominously descends upon Durga and with little exchange the Karuna casts Durga out of the house all the while the music changes in its intensity as well. Through out the film the tragedies of life are shown in full colors, Harhir’s older cousin who frequently was shown to have conflict with Karuna is found dead by Apu and Durga. Durga herself catches a deadly cold that ends up in her death. Panther Panchali is composed of the brutal elements of a poor life but in its display of suffering the films profundity can be seen through its realistic portrayal of a rich culture.