Evaluating the eternal effect of Music in ‘Pather Panchali’ and its Mystic, Impenetrable Quality
Sukanya Sarkar
It was an introduction of a new era of Indian Instrumental Music in the Indian Cinema of early post-Independence period. The innovative mind of Ravi Shankar created a noticeable change in the history of background score in Indian Art film. The beautiful combination of Sitar & Flute really suited for a poor but more or less happy underprivileged rural family. All the family members in spite of their hardship enjoyed their life in the surroundings of the nature.
Pather Panchali may be considered as a commencement of a new era of Indian Cinema. It has given an introduction of Indian Hindustani & folk Instrumental music in the world. Globally the film has made a mark in the map of World Cinema and simultaneously the music of the film has given the idea of both folk & Instrumental music of India. This was perhaps the first film of India and more especially of newly independent Bengal which came into the notice of the viewers of the world in spite of the fact that initially there were no subtitles.
The commencing tune of Pt. Ravi Shankar has almost become a signature tune of ‘Pather Panchali’. The viewer’s even today will be able to recognize it within a few seconds. Ravi Shankar’s commencing piece was so unique and brilliant; the viewers of other countries even after long years can recognize ‘Pather Panchali’ as soon as they listen the commencing tune of the Legendary Sitar maestro.
But unfortunately the film did not get much appreciation at the time of its release in India. The premiere of ‘Pather Panchali’ was on 3rd May in 1955 during an exhibition at New York’s ‘Museum of Modern Art’. The film however got enthusiastic reception in Calcutta later in the same year.
After the screening and official release of ‘Pather Panchali’ in West Bengal, unfortunately Satyajit Ray was criticized by some circle that he exhibited India’s poverty to the world. But in my humble opinion Satyajit Ray very honestly portrayed the socio-economic structure of India and specially Bengal’s rural people in a literary form. So instead of criticizing this great director, the sensible people all over the world appreciated his un-flinging quality to study the society of down-trodden.
The film received a lot of critical acclaim and accolades in the Western Counterpart than in contemporary India and Bengal. But it was not popular among the viewers who mostly watch a film for entertainment.
A special screening was arranged and attended by the then Chief Minister Dr. B.C. Roy and the then Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru at time. The director has very romantically articulated the poverty and painful moments of rural life in India (specially here the backdrop is a village of West Bengal where the author artistically portrayed the beauty and some unpleasant/cruel truth of rural life in Bengal). Here Pt. Ravi Shankar’s music is beautifully created brilliant musical portions/sequences with the director’s touch of nature’s beauty in small things.
Satyajit Ray’s ‘Pather Panchali’ may be described as an unparalleled Cinema in Indian history of film. The script, dialogues, photography, selection of location, set designing lighting, beauty of nature, and the minute details of almost all seasons, music, editing of the film are brilliant and above all his choice and ability of using actors and actresses of every age group in any situation was always commendable. One striking feature of ‘Pather Panchali’ was that Apu was the youngest actor but he did an exclusively superb work in the film. On the other hand Indir Thakrun was in her 80s when the film was made. Each and every one performed their role with extreme ease. Satyajit Ray could utilize and handle even the negative side of an actor (like – inexpressioness).
According to exponent music composer and director Bhaskar Chandravarkar told in a documentary, ‘A living Resonance’ that the people who had watched the film in the United States and Europe (Western Part) remembered its background music for a long time and in his opinion the essence of ‘Pather Panchali’ film’s music has a quality of mysticism. In fact Indian folk music always has a mysticism in their presentation. These mystics think with their sincere prayer, they may reach God or in short a communion with God. In ‘Pather Panchali’, the particular song in the voice of Indir Thakrun is a clear example of this mysticism. The prayer of the song is this, ‘I have almost completed my early stay and now it is time for you (God) to take me away from this world. She is appealing fervently to liberate her from the shackles of this world. This octogenarian lady’s prayer to the Almighty to rescue her from the miserable life. So she appeals to God to release her from the misery she experienced in this world. She appeals with a short piece of Bengali folk song which is full of mysticism. She is a humble request, as she is pauper and endured lot of hardships and lot of torture in the society for shelter for shelter at Almighty’s feet. According to Hindu belief she wants to leave this world for the next.
In line of Hindu belief she has completed her earthly stay and wants to enter the other world.
Some musical pieces make an eternal impact in viewers’ mind. They can relate the music wherever they see the film. The approach of Pandit Ji’s music is so real that still people can recollect their experiences whenever they listen the title/theme music of ‘Pather Panchali’. The music behind the title Card has become the signature tune of the film.
According to Chandravarkar it sounds like a simple tune. But in a way it caught the spirit and essence of rural India of the period in the film, is simply superb. He thought that the music succeeds and works beautifully throughout the film. We can feel that its simplicity the film. We can feel that its simplicity is an outwardly characteristic. It has a deep meaning and the structure of the music is very helpful for the film to communicate to the people across the lines and boundaries of culture.
In his view, the music expresses the emotions of rural India exquisitely. The music we hear sounds very simple but it has given a very in depth emotions of rural India specially Bengal.
The story of the film along with its music has a universal appeal to all poverty stricken people of the world. This kind of theme is not limited to any nation or to any boundary. This is to any nation or to any boundary. This is Satyajit Ray’s contribution to the entire film world. It may not be that Satyajit Ray was the first film director to conceive such as idea, but definitely came into limelight of public consideration after the release of the film. The film loving world was engrossed to his ideas, his simplicity of presentation and other aspects which a film director is supposed to focus.
The unique thing which actor and director Richard Attenborough noticed that even in extreme poverty in a rural society, the dignity of a family kept intact. Many families never compromise their dignity. We see in the last scene that after the disastrous and unexpected death of the daughter, the shattered family sacrifices their property, land, small home in their home land where were born.
Pather Panchali told a story of human condition in India and the music helped it to do it completely. The structure and format of music has some essential quality which the music must have to convey emotions. It is a very enduring kind of musical melody. Because people remember the tune of ‘Pather Panchali’ when they are not even viewing the film also, and remember it for years together. It has the quality that lingers in the mind of the viewers.
There are couples of other pieces that we remember in the film, when the rain comes down pouring, we see a sheet of water where there is a dance of insects and this is being illustrated through music beautifully.
Ray did not find any producer when he was making ‘Pather Panchali’ which is famous as ‘Song of the little Road’ in the world. So due to shortage of financial resources the whole process of making had taken approximately almost 3 years or 2 and a half year of time.
The film was shot mainly on outdoor location in different types of sunlight and shades. It was made by a purely debutant team but the set-designer was not an inexperienced person. Fortunately Satyajit Ray got the expertise of the set-designer Bansi Chandragupta who would make the location very real. He had very successfully done a replica of a typical rural thatched house Harihar and his family lived. It may be mentioned here that Bansi had the fortune to learn a great deal as a designer when he worked under Jean Renoir in his film ‘The River’. He also got an opportunity to work under Eugene Louri. These past experiences helped Mr. Chandragupta to design an authentic background. Bansi Chandragupta admitted it when he wrote about his experience.
Later he wrote he came to understand ‘the probing question of Renoir and Lourie about where, how and why to stage a certain scene in a certain place. He learnt to design a set which might easily be mistaken as real location. Such was his expertise one might easily be mistaken as real place. To be more precise his set designing never looked like studio set-up.
The film was harbinger of a new era. The approaches of the cinematic language, presentation of Instrumental music along with other sound effects were totally different and realistic which so far was unknown in Indian film circle although the language of the film is Bengali.
In spite of the fact, that the language of the film is Bengali, it touched the heart of Indian audience (non-Bengali). Generally, poverty makes life harder but Apu and Durga were totally undaunted by their situation and scarcity of money and other resources. Ray beautifully portrayed the difference between son and daughter’s exact position in the family and Indian society without making any dramatic situation.
Critics have praised realistic approach of the film where the narrative is a pure documentation of common people’s life of rural India just after independence.[1] But some critics wrote that the film’s movements are quire slow. Some scholars have noticed it lyrical beauty and the influence of Italian Neorealism. The most amazing feature of the film is the portrayal of small delights of daily life and nature. According to Marie Seton in her book ‘Potrait of a Director’
Possibly the most apt review written in India about the film and applicable to the Trilogy as a whole, was ‘Adib’s’ comments in ‘The Times of India on February 11th, 1956.
It is absurd to compare ‘Pather Panchali’ with any other Indian film as it is a pure cinema. There is no trace of the theatre in it. ‘Pather Panchali’ makes a complete break with the world of make-believe, of a mélange of the impossible. Satyajit Ray has an uncanny eye for the scene and for people. His composition of shots was always exclusively brilliant. He composes all the shots with his virtuosity which can only be compared with few directors in the entire history of Cinema. But the angling or cutting his shots didn’t give the entire success. The secret of his power lies in the facility with which he penetrates beneath the each character of every story’s character.
The director’s influence and ability to direct the actors in such a way that they could slip into the skin of characters very naturally and made the characters very real and believable. He could choose a perfect person even amateurs for each role of every film. He could inspire actors in such a way that they could give their best fort the respective roles.
In this context, I like to mention that Ray had done a wonderful assimilation of fact and fiction in Pather Panchali. When ‘Pather Panchali’ was made, India was in the process of transition and a nation was building after a long period of British dominance.
De Sicca’s ‘Bicycle Theives’ inspires Ray in such a way that he realized a film can also be made in a realistic environment without professional actors also. He focused on a rural background and the story of a family was in a very natural way where everything seemed very real and spontaneous. Another interesting and new feature of ‘Pather Panchali’ is, Ray never showed the two deaths in a dramatic way though both the deaths are soul-touching the use of music to express the grief of Durga’s death is exclusively artistic.
The relation between Durga and her paternal aunt Indir Thakrun is really appreciable and their bonding is soul touching. Indir Thakrun happens to be the paternal aunt of Durga, and their sweet and loving relationship is portrayed in a beautiful way. Durga is the only person of the family who used to look after her aunt. She used to arrange fruits from neighborhoods’ garden as her aunt were a widow and used to take very small meal. In India, at that period the widows have to live life under strict rules and regulations. Actually Indir was not a close relative of Harihar’s family. It was Harihar’s greatness that he allowed to take a shelter in his small hut and stay with his family. But his wife Sarbojaya used to remind Indir all the time that it is their compassionate help to give her a place to stay with them. So the viewers can easily understand that how Indir Thakrun is tortured by Sarbojaya who used to communicate with her distant sister-in-law, with an abusive language. And Sarbojaya was very against her daughter’s care for Indir. She thought that arranging the fruits from somebody else’s garden Durga used to do for her elderly widow aunt Indir as she is a widow and a loner in this world. Durga from her childhood days feels the helplessness and loneliness from the bottom of her heart and she loved her aunt always even when her mother scolded her for theft of fruits. Through the love between Durga and her aunt Indir and the juxtaposing of the very young and the very old united by a similarity of spirit. Even the fate of their end is also more or less same.
Being a child also Durga realized the need of food and love for widow-aunt that’s why she used to collect fruits from the adjacent gardens once which happens to be their own garden. But due to lack of interest of her father for material world they lost their garden. Her father was an educated person and used to write play for contemporary Bengali Theatre which is popularly known as ‘Pala’ in the rural area of Bengal. Indir died half-way through film the death scene of Indir is showed in a very unconventional manner. In the custom of Hinduism there are lots of show-offs and rituals are followed by deceased’s family member. Rarely this kind of presentation of death scene is visualized in a film in India.
In a typical Indian village in a remote place family of four members struggling for their livelihood it was hardly possible to give special attention to a fairly elderly lady (Indir Thakrun). It may appear that the lady in the family was a little but unwanted. Her death at a place somewhat away from their actual little hut is perhaps a symbol of this unwantedness. The death scene of Indir Thakrun has been photographed in a very realistic way. When Durga noticed her aunt lying down she thought that she was just sleeping. But after repeated call when she did not answer she realized that her aunt is no more. The natural sound of a rolling of a too much used utensil is a very distinct symbol that somebody is leaving this earhly world. This incident adds a new dimension and a finer touch to the death scene without any dialogue. The expression of Durga created a sorrowful moment. The above mentioned symbol portrays such a pathetic scene in a very simple way is indeed commendable. A serious viewer and sincere love of realistic film will definitely notice the artistic touch of the director without fail. It signifies how much unwanted she was for the society and the family. Only one person cares for when she was living her last quarter of life.
Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay’s unique presentation of two female characters in ‘Pather Panchali’ is a masterpiece. So far as age is concerned Durga and Indir are juxtaposing while Durga is approaching her teens, Indir is an octogenarian. But the bond of friendship between them is so spontaneous that age never seems to be a bar. The happiness at their momentary joy and fun is indeed a treat to watch in some scenes.
Scenes of Monsoon:
Ray had portrayed almost every season’s beauty and other characteristics through visuals and music. In fact, music plays a pivotal role in painting the beauty of rainy season in ‘Pather Panchali’. The season of monsoon in Bengal is illustrated beautifully through Pandit Ji’s beautiful and simple music. The tune of music enhanced the beauty of rainy season and rain. The spirit of monsoon is captured wonderfully. Some passages of music in ‘Pather Panchali’ are really mesmerizing and memorable for its simplicity. The use of music is limited but very appropriate.
When the rain comes down, we can see a sheet of water in the pond, where there is a dance of insects and this is being translated through music in an amazing way. Ray captured every minute details and natural beauty of nature rural life. The waterbugs disporting themselves epitomize the joyousness of life. The beauty of their joyousness and a new lease of life which monsoon used to give after excessive of life which monsoon used to give after excessive heat of summer is expressed beautifully through a touch of brilliant piece of music.
I find every minute detail is portrayed in an exclusive humanism. But most lyrical passages in the music in the film is the prelude music in the bursting of monsoon. Waterbugs skip and dance about the surface of the pond where the lotus leaves begin to flip-up at their edges in the rising wind. The tempo increases in a steady way. Ravi Shankar’s marvelous expressions of music added a new tonal colour of the mood of monsoon in a very simple and soothing way. His music underlined the scene in a touching manner. Although it sounds very simple but its indispensible quality is something remarkable.
When the first drop of rain of monsoon begins, it is a very pleasant experience for all of us everywhere in India. Ray portrayed beautiful the first drop of rain in one person’s head. When the rains come down, we see the joyousness in Apu and Durga. Both of them are in a very happy mood and they go to field to enjoy rain. Durga whirls round and round to get thoroughly drenched because she loves adventures. But his brother Apu takes shelter under a tree. After that sister Durga joins her brother Apu as she was frightened and they huddle together. After that Durga falls ill in fever. And in a cyclone in the night her condition gets worsened and she passed away in a terminal disease within a season. This scene is also designed in a very artistic way with special sound effects and wonderful visuals from the aspect of lighting and camera. But the scene is really very pathetic without any help of dramatic elements. Even the director omitted any funeral occasion after Durga’s death. Even after Indir’s death also, there is no funeral ceremony. But the outburst of Sarbojaya after Durga’s death stands out as one of artistic scenes in World Cinema. This piece really stands out beautifully and remarkably. We can feel all the pain, tragic circumstances which occurred at the night of Durga’s death with the help of a wonderfully used music by a simple folk instrument called ‘Tar Shehnai’.[2]
The ‘Tar Shehnai’ played in Satyajit Roy’s ‘Pather Panchali’ was played by Dakshina Ranjan Tagore to accompany the scene in which. Harihar and Sarbojaya weep over the death of their daughter Durga after the return of Harihar and before leaving Nischindipur.
Duality of Hinduism:
Marie Seton, the author of ‘Potrait of a Director’ had specially noticed a duality in Hinduism which she had mentioned in her book in the chapter of ‘Pather Panchali’.
In Hinduism there is a belief that every positive thing can do some good, but it has some destructive power also.
In this context she wrote that the commencements of monsoon people get a sigh of relief. Farmers become happy as the water of rain will help them grow plants in their field. So these are positive effects which Ray also portrayed by the joy of Apu and Durga. But at the same time the cyclone destroys their small home made with mud and straw. The cyclone came to the film as a destructive force and takes away the little girl Durga’s life also with few months. Durga’s death seems to me like the emersion of the mud idol of Goddess Durga after her four days-stay in the festival of Durga Puja.
Marie Seton felt that the Hindu Philosophy may be born from the dual effect of monsoon. Because in every year, Indian people specially Bengali people get a new lease of fresh life force when monsoon comes after the scorching heat of summer. The monsoon gives new life to the nature. The joy being translated into Durga extreme happiness. She and her brother Apu make for a meadow as the rain comes. Ray planned the scene with all minute details. She drenched herself with water of rain with a lot of joy and happiness.
Rainy season is a time when people enjoy it upto an extent. But the monsoon has almost always has a darker side. Sometimes a cyclone in the time of monsoon behaves like a destructive force which can destroy life, huts, plants and farm. This duality of monsoon’s characteristics may be compared to Hindu Philosophy’s dualism.
Rain’s first drop comes as an elixir of our life in the film of the rural life of ‘Pather Panchali’. But this new lease of life becomes the cause of the terminal illness of Durga and in a night of cyclone, she lost her life in an incurable fever. She loved rain, life, small delights of daily life, enjoyed pleasurable moments, did some naughty behaviour. But she was very kind hearted since her childhood day when we see her concern for her homeless distant paternal widow aunt. That’s why her death shattered the family’s happiness. She was full of life. Her sudden and premature end totally devastated all the family members.
Even of departure from Nischindipur:
Harihar’s decision to move from his ancestral home at Nischindipur with his family to Benaras in a very simple manner. He and his family have been going through a period of hardship for quite a long time. Unfortunately was cursed so much that they lost their only daughter at a very premature age. Their small thatched house was almost in a dilapidated condition. These factors Harihar to leave their ancestral place and move to Benaras in search of better livelihood an some fortune.
On the eve of their departure their neighbor and a distant relative from their extended family came to meet them as a courtesy visit. The lady was received by the family and they were engrossed in their discussion at a very small verandah of their thatched / …………. House. Apu was inside the room in search of a small bowl where he kept a drama pop which he collected from villages’ drama-group which moved around from one village to another village to perform their drama-show. Apu from his childhood was very curious about the different performer’s in their show with particularly who wore different type of drama-costume and had deep yearning to get one or two costume for himself. Somehow he managed one which is worn on the forehead. All of a sudden the bowl fell on the floor and he was astonished to find the missing necklace of pearl of Durga’s friend about which Mrs. Mukherjee alleged that the necklace was stolen by Durga when she went to their house to play with Mrs. Mukherjee’s daughter. The presence of mind of Apu at that tender age is unbelievable. He immediately decided to go away. With that necklace from another door behind and wasted no time to throw it into the pond. It was a solace to his mind, as he thought that this will exonerated her deceased elder sisters of all earthly sin. The way the director planned the scene is really beautiful when one finds as if the departed soul is vanishing through the wave by Apu’s throwing of that necklace. Bibhutibhushan portrayed child psychology in such a manner which exhibits the real touch of an artist. The overall scene gives a poetic touch and proves Ray’s virtuosity and versatility also an artist who loved and observed the nature’s beauty with flawlessness. This whole episode reveals the bonding of siblings and Apu’s deep lover for his elder sister. He missed her absence each and every time as she introduced him to many new and interesting things of the world in the time of growing age.
Music in every society has some special importance of expressions and emotions of human being. Similarly the music expresses the emotions of rural India which is very much evident in ‘Pather Panchali’. The most important passages of music of the film have a spirit of rural culture.
Every important composition of music of ‘Pather Panchali’ was indeed a brilliant creation of Pt. Ravi Shankar. Almost throughout the film, a particular melody of a folk tune automatically became the theme music of the film. The music at the outset appears to be a very simple piece. But in reality Pt. Ravi Shankar was able to convey the typical spirit and essence of rural India of period. This quality requires an inner view of the music director. It was amazing to listen to such a folk tune in Sitar from Sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar who was purely Classical Sitar Player. His improvisation was commendable. Ravi Shankar’s folk tune was acclaimed highly in Europe and USA at that point of time.
The people of several countries remembered always along with visuals of film. The mystic quality in the music is one of the most important features of the film. Because we all know that when languages fail, music works. The simplicity in the background music is another wonderful quality. He used and arranged several musical instruments in different situations to enhance the meaningfulness. The use and mixing of Foley sound are very helpful for the film.
From
a broader point of view one may understand from the music of the film also
showed the desperate condition of the poverty-ridden family. But they always
faced the odds with patience. A particular scene may be mentioned here as a
glaring example of their optimism even at difficult times. In this scene, we
see that Harihar is writing something and dictating Apu and Sarbojaya is
combing her daughter’s hair to make a ___________________ and thinking for an
eligible bride-groom for their daughter.
[1] “Best human document award” at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival.
[2] The “Tar Shehnai” also spelled “Tarshenai” or sometimes in the above mentioned spelling, is an Esraj (an Indian bowed instrument whose sound is amplified by a metal horn attached to its sound board. The term is also used to refer to the horn itself. The horn of a phonograph has sometimes been used. The instrument sounds similar to a “Violin” or to “Sarangi”. And some opinion says it sounds like an Indian reed instrument like an “oboe” or “Shawn”. It is sometimes used instead of a “Shennai” when no shehnai player is available. The word “Tar” mean stringed.
Reconsidering the eternal effect of Music in “Pather Panchali” and its Mystic & Esoteric Quality.
It was an introduction of a new era of Indian Instrumental Music in the Indian Cinema of early post Independence period. The innovative mind of Ravi Shankar created a noticeable change in the history of background score in Indian Art film. The beautiful combination of Sitar & Flute really suited for a poor but more or less happy underprivileged rural family. All the family members in spite of their hardship enjoyed their life in the surroundings of the nature.
Pather Panchali may be considered as a commencement of a new era of Indian Cinema. It has given an introduction of Indian Hindustani & folk Instrumental music in the world. Globally the film has made a mark in the map of World Cinema and simultaneously the music of the film has given the idea of both folk & Instrumental music of India. This was perhaps the first film of India and more specially of newly independent Bengal which came into the notice of the viewer’s of the world in spite of the fact that initially there were no subtitles.
The commencing tune of Pt. Ravi Shankar has almost become a signature tune of “Pather Panchali”. The viewers even today will be able to recognize it within a few seconds. Ravi Shankar’s commencing piece was so unique and brilliant, the viewers of other countries even after long years can recognize “Pather Panchali” as soon as they listen the commencing tune of the Legendary Sitar maestro.
But unfortunately the film did not get much appreciation at the time of its release in India. The premiere of “Pather Panchali” was on 3rd May in 1955 during an exhibition at New York’s “Museum of Modern Art”. The film however got enthusiastic reception in Calcutta later in the same year.
After the screening and official release of “Pather Panchali” in West Bengal, unfortunately Satyajit Ray was criticized by some circle that he exhibited India’s poverty to the world. But in my humble opinion Satyajit Ray very honestly portrayed the socio-economic structure of India and specially Bengal’s rural people in a literary form. So instead of criticizing this great director, the sensible people all over the world appreciated his unflinging quality to study the society of down-trodden.
The film received a lot of critical acclaim and accolades in the Western Counterpart than in contemporary India and Bengal. But it was not popular among the viewers who mostly watch a film for entertainment.
A special screening was arranged and attended by the then Chief Minister Dr. B.C. Roy and the then Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru at time. The director has very romantically articulated the poverty and painful moments of rural life in India (specially here the backdrop is a village of West Bengal where the author artistically portrayed the beauty and some unpleasant/cruel truth of rural life in Bengal). Here Pt. Ravi Shankar’s music is beautifully created brilliant musical portions/sequences with the director’s touch of nature’s beauty in small things.
Satyajit Ray’s “Pather Panchali” may be described as an unparallel Cinema in Indian history of film. The script, dialogues, photography, selection of location, set designing lighting, beauty of nature, and the minute details of almost all seasons, music, editing of the film are brilliant. And above all his choice and ability of using actors and actresses of every age group in any situation was always commendable. One striking feature of “Pather Panchali” was that Apu was the youngest actor but he did an exclusively superb work in the film. On the other hand Indir Thakrun was in her 80s when the film was made. Each and everyone performed their role with extreme ease. Satyajit Ray could utilize and handle even the negative side of an actor (like – inexpressioness).
According to exponent music composer and director Bhaskar Chandravarkar told in a documentary, “A living Resonance” that the people who had watched the film in the United States and Europe (Western Part) remembered its background music for a long time and in his opinion the essence of “Pather Panchali” film’s music has a quality of mysticism. In fact Indian folk music always has a mysticism in their presentation. These mystics think with their sincere prayer, they may reach God or in short a communion with God. In “Pather Panchali”, the particular song in the voice of Indir Thakrun is a clear example of this mysticism. The prayer of the song is this, “I have almost completed my early stay and now it is time for you (God) to take me away from this world. She is appealing fervently to liberate her from the sackles of this world. This octogenarian lady’s prayer to the Almighty to rescue her from her miserable life. So she appeals to God to release her from the misery she experienced in this world. She appeals with a short piece of Bengali folk song which is full of mysticism. She is a humble request, as she is pauper and endured lot of hardships and lot of torture in the society for shelter for shelter at Almighty’s feet. According to Hindu belief she wants to leave this world for the next.
In line of Hindu belief she has completed her earthly stay and wants to enter the other world.
Some musical pieces make an eternal impact in viewers’ mind. They can relate the music wherever they see the film. The approach of Pandit Ji’s music is so real that still people can recollect their experiences whenever they listen the title/theme music of “Pather Panchali”. The music behind the title Card has became the signature tune of the film.
According to Chandravarkar it sounds like a simple tune. But in a way it caught the spirit and essence of rural India of the period in the film, is simply superb. He thought that the music succeeds and works beautifully throughout the film. We can feel that its simplicity the film. We can feel that its simplicity is a outwardly characteristic. It has a deep meaning and the structure of the music is very helpful for the film to communicate to the people across the lines and boundaries of culture.
In his view, the music expresses the emotions of rural India exquisitely. The music we hear sounds very simple but it has given a very in depth emotions of rural India specially Bengal.
The story of the film along with its music has a universal appeal to all poverty stricken people of the world. This kind of theme is not limited to any nation or to any boundary. This is to any nation or to any boundary. This is Satyajit Ray’s contribution to the entire film world. It may not be that Satyajit Ray was the first film director to conceive such as idea, but definitely came into limelight of public consideration after the release of the film. The film loving world was engrossed to his ideas, his simplicity of presentation and other aspects which a film director is supposed to focus.
The unique thing which actor and director Richard Attenborough noticed that even in extreme poverty in a rural society, the dignity of a family kept intact. Many families never compromise their dignity. We see in the last scene that after the disastrous and unexpected death of the daughter, the shattered family sacrifices their property, land, small home in their home land where were born.
Pather Panchali told a story of human condition in India and the music helped it to do it completely. The structure and format of music has some essential quality which the music must have to convey emotions. It is a very enduring kind of musical melody. Because people remember the tune of “Pather Panchali” when they are not even viewing the film also, and remember it for years together. It has the quality that lingers in the mind of the viewers.
There are couples of other pieces that we remember in the film, when the rain comes down pouring, we see a sheet of water where there is a dance of insects and this is being illustrated through music beautifully.
Ray did not find any producer when he was making “Pather Panchali” which is famous as “Song of the little Road” in the world. So due to shortage of financial resources the whole process of making had taken approximately almost 3 years or 2 and a half year of time.
The film was shot mainly on outdoor location in different types of sunlight and shades. It was made by a purely debutant team but the set-designer was not an inexperienced person. Fortunately Satyajit Ray got the expertise of the set-designer Bansi Chandragupta who would make the location very real. He had very successfully done a replica of a typical rural thatched house Harihar and his family lived. It may be mentioned here that Bansi had the fortune to learn a great deal as a designer when he worked under Jean Renoir in his film “The River”. He also got an opportunity to work under Eugene Louri. These past experiences helped Mr. Chandragupta to design an authentic background. Bansi Chandragupta admitted it when he wrote about his experience.
Later he wrote he came to understand ‘the probing question of Renoir and Lourie about where, how and why to stage a certain scene in a certain place. He learnt to design a set which might easily be mistaken as real location. Such was his expertise one might easily be mistaken as real place. To be more precise his set designing never looked like studio set-up.
The film was harbinger of a new era. The approach of the cinematic language, presentation of Instrumental music along with other sound effects were totally different and realistic which so far was unknown in Indian film circle although the language of the film is Bengali.
In spite of the fact, that the language of the film is Bengali, it touched the heart of Indian audience (non-Bengali). Generally, poverty makes life harder but Apu and Durga were totally undaunted by their situation and scarcity of money and other resources. Ray beautifully portrayed the difference between son and daughter’s exact position in the family and Indian society without making any dramatic situation.
Critics have praised realistic approach of the film where the narrative is a pure documentation of common people’s life of rural India just after independence.[1] But some critics wrote that the film’s movements are quire slow. Some scholars have noticed it lyrical beauty and the influence of Italian Neorealism. The most amazing feature of the film is the portrayal of small delights of daily life and nature. According to Marie Seton in her book “Potrait of a Director”
Possibly the most apt review written in India about the film and applicable to the Trilogy as a whole, was ‘Adib’s’ comments in “The Times of India on February 11th, 1956.
It is absurd to compare “Pather Panchali” with any other Indian film as it is a pure cinema. There is no trace of the theatre in it. “Pather Panchali” makes a complete break with the world of make-believe, of a mélange of the impossible. Satyajit Ray has an uncanny eye for the scene and for people. His composition of shots was always exclusively brilliant. He composes all the shots with his virtuosity which can only be compared with few directors in the entire history of Cinema. But the angling or cutting his shots didn’t give the entire success. The secret of his power lies in the facility with which he penetrates beneath the each character of every story’s character.
The director’s influence and ability to direct the actors in such a way that they could slip into the skin of characters very naturally and made the characters very real and believable. He could choose a perfect person even amateurs for each role of every film. He could inspire actors in such a way that they could give their best fort the respective roles.
In this context, I like to mention that Ray had done a wonderful assimilation of fact and fiction in Pather Panchali. When “Pather Panchali” was made, India was in the process of transition and a nation was building after a long period of British dominance.
De Sicca’s “Bicycle Theives” inspires Ray in such a way that he realized a film can also be made in a realistic environment without professional actors also. He focused on a rural background and the story of a family was in a very natural way where everything seemed very real and spontaneous. Another interesting and new feature of “Pather Panchali” is, Ray never showed the two deaths in a dramatic way though both the deaths are soul-touching the use of music to express the grief of Durga’s death is exclusively artistic.
The relation between Durga and her paternal aunt Indir Thakrun is really appreciable and their bonding is soul touching. Indir Thakrun happens to be the paternal aunt of Durga, and their sweet and loving relatingship is portrayed in a beautiful way. Durga is the only person of the family who used to look after her aunt. She used to arrange fruits from neighbourhood’s garden as her aunt was a widow and used to take very small meal. In India, at that period the widows have to live life under strict rules and regulations. Actually Indir was not a close relative of Harihar’s family. It was Harihar’s greatness that he allowed to take a shelter in his small hut and stay with his family. But his wife Sarbojaya used to remind Indir all the time that it is their compassionate help to give her a place to stay with them. So the viewers can easily understand that how Indir Thakrun is tortured by Sarbojaya who used to communicate with her distant sister-in-law, with an abusive language. And Sarbojaya was very against her daughter’s care for Indir. She thought that arranging the fruits from somebody else’s garden Durga used to do for her elderly widow aunt Indir as she is a widow and a loner in this world. Durga from her childhood days feels the helplessness and loneliness from the bottom of her heart and she loved her aunt always even when her mother scolded her for theft of fruits. Through the love between Durga and her aunt Indir and the juxtaposing of the very young and the very old united by a similarity of spirit. Even the fate of their end is also more or less same.
Being a child also Durga realized the need of food and love for widow-aunt that’s why she used to collect fruits from the adjacent gardens once which happens to be their own garden. But due to lack of interest of her father for material world they lost their garden. Her father was an educated person and used to write play for contemporary Bengali Theatre which is popularly known as “Pala” in the rural area of Bengal. Indir died half-way through film the death scene of Indir is showed in a very unconventional manner. In the custom of Hinduism there are lot of show-offs and rituals are followed by deceased’s family member. Rarely this kind of presentation of death scene is visualized in a film in India.
In a typical Indian village in a remote place family of four members struggling for their livelihood it was hardly possible to give special attention to a fairly elderly lady (Indir Thakrun). It may appear that the lady in the family was a little but unwanted. Her death at a place somewhat away from their actual little hut is perhaps a symbol of this unwantedness. The death scene of Indir Thakrun has been photographed in a very realistic way. When Durga noticed her aunt lying down she thought that she was just sleeping. But after repeated call when she did not answer she realized that her aunt is no more. The natural sound of a rolling of a too much used utensil is a very distinct symbol that somebody is leaving this earhly world. This incident adds a new dimension and a finer touch to the death scene without any dialogue. The expression of Durga created a sorrowful moment. The above mentioned symbol portrays such a pathetic scene in a very simple way is indeed commendable. A serious viewer and sincere love of realistic film will definitely notice the artistic touch of the director without fail. It signifies how much unwanted she was for the society and the family. Only one person cares for when she was living her last quarter of life.
Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay’s unique presentation of two female characters in “Pather Panchali” is a masterpiece. So far as age is concerned Durga and Indir are juxtaposing while Durga is approaching her teens, Indir is an octogenarian. But the bond of friendship between them is so spontaneous that age never seems to be a bar. The happiness at their momentary joy and fun is indeed a treat to watch in some scenes.
Scenes of Monsoon:
Ray had portrayed almost every season’s beauty and other characteristics through visuals and music. In fact, music plays a pivotal role in painting the beauty of rainy season in “Pather Panchali”. The season of monsoon in Bengal is illustrated beautifully through Pandit Ji’s beautiful and simple music. The tune of music enhanced the beauty of rainy season and rain. The spirit of monsoon is captured wonderfully. Some passages of music in “Pather Panchali” are really mesmerizing and memorable for its simplicity. The use of music is limited but very appropriate.
When the rain comes down, we can see a sheet of water in the pond, where there is a dance of insects and this is being translated through music in an amazing way. Ray captured every minute details and natural beauty of nature rural life. The waterbugs disporting themselves epitomize the joyousness of life. The beauty of their joyousness and a new lease of life which monsoon used to give after excessive of life which monsoon used to give after excessive heat of summer is expressed beautifully through a touch of brilliant piece of music.
I find every minute detail is portrayed in an exclusive humanism. But most lyrical passages in the music in the film is the prelude music in the bursting of monsoon. Waterbugs skip and dance about the surface of the pond where the lotus leaves begin to flip-up at their edges in the rising wind. The tempo increases in a steady way. Ravi Shankar’s marvelous expressions of music added a new tonal colour of the mood of monsoon in a very simple and soothing way. His music underlined the scene in a touching manner. Although it sounds very simple but its indispensible quality is something remarkable.
When the first drop of rain of monsoon begins, it is a very pleasant experience for all of us everywhere in India. Ray portrayed beautiful the first drop of rain in one person’s head. When the rains come down, we see the joyousness in Apu and Durga. Both of them are in a very happy mood and they go to field to enjoy rain. Durga whirls round and round to get thoroughly drenched because she loves adventures. But his brother Apu takes shelter under a tree. After that sister Durga joins her brother Apu as she was frightened and they huddle together. After that Durga falls ill in fever. And in a cyclone in the night her condition gets worsened and she passed away in a terminal disease within a season. This scene is also designed in a very artistic way with special sound effects and wonderful visuals from the aspect of lighting and camera. But the scene is really very pathetic without any help of dramatic elements. Even the director omitted any funeral occasion after Durga’s death. Even after Indir’s death also, there is no funeral ceremony. But the outburst of Sarbojaya after Durga’s death stands out as one of artistic scenes in World Cinema. This piece really stands out beautifully and remarkably. We can feel all the pain, tragic circumstances which occurred at the night of Durga’s death with the help of a wonderfully used music by a simple folk instrument called “Tar Shehnai”.[2]
The “Tar Shehnai” played in Satyajit Roy’s “Pather Panchali” was played by Dakshina Ranjan Tagore to accompany the scene in which. Harihar and Sarbojaya weep over the death of their daughter Durga after the return of Harihar and before leaving Nischindipur.
Duality of Hinduism:
Marie Seton, the author of “Potrait of a Director” had specially noticed a duality in Hinduism which she had mentioned in her book in the chapter of “Pather Panchali”.
In Hinduism there is a belief that every positive thing can do some good, but it has some destructive power also.
In this context she wrote that the commencement of monsoon people get a sigh of relief. Farmers become happy as the water of rain will help them grow plants in their field. So these are positive effects which Ray also portrayed by the joy of Apu and Durga. But at the same time the cyclone destroys their small home made with mud and straw. The cyclone came to the film as a destructive force and takes away the little girl Durga’s life also with few months. Durga’s death seems to me like the emersion of the mud idol of Goddess Durga after her four days-stay in the festival of Durga Puja.
Marie Seton felt that the Hindu Philosophy may be born from the dual effect of monsoon. Because in every year, Indian people specially Bengali people get a new lease of fresh life force when monsoon comes after the scorching heat of summer. The monsoon gives new life to the nature. The joy being translated into Durga extreme happiness. She and her brother Apu make for a meadows as the rain comes. Ray planned the scene with all minute details. She drenched herself with water of rain with a lot of joy and happiness.
Rainy season is a time when people enjoy it upto an extent. But the monsoon has almost always has a darker side. Sometimes a cyclone in the time of monsoon behaves like a destructive force which can destroy life, huts, plants and farm. This duality of monsoon’s characteristics may be compared to Hindu Philosophy’s dualism.
Rain’s first drop comes as an elixir of our life in the film of the rural life of “Pather Panchali”. But this new lease of life becomes the cause of the terminal illness of Durga and in a night of cyclone, she lost her life in an incurable fever. She loved rain, life, small delights of daily life, enjoyed pleasurable moments, did some naughty behaviour. But she was very kind hearted since her childhood day when we see her concern for her homeless distant paternal widow aunt. That’s why her death shattered the family’s happiness. She was full of life. Her sudden and premature end totally devastated all the family members.
Even of departure from Nischindipur:
Harihar’s decision to move from his ancestral home at Nischindipur with his family to Benaras in a very simple manner. He and his family have been going through a period of hardship for quite a long time. Unfortunately was cursed so much that they lost their only daughter at a very premature age. Their small thatched house was almost in a dilapidated condition. These factors Harihar to leave their ancestral place and move to Benaras in ssearch of better livelihood an some fortune.
On the eve of their departure their neighbour and a distant relative from their extended family came to meet them as a courtesy visit. The lady was received by the family and they were engrossed in their discussion at a very small verandah of their thatched / …………. House. Apu was inside the room in search of a small bowl where he kept a drama pop which he collected from villages drama-group which moved around from one village to another village to perform their drama-show. Apu from his childhood was very curious about the different performer’s in their show with particularly who wore different type of drama-costume and had deep yearning to get one or two costume for himself. Somehow he managed one which is worn on the forehead. All of a sudden the bowl fell on the floor and he was astonished to find the missing neckless of pearl of Durga’s friend about which Mrs. Mukherjee alleged that the neckless was stolen by Durga when she went to their house to play with Mrs. Mukherjee’s daughter. The presence of mind of Apu at that tender age is unbelievable. He immediately decided to go away. With that neckless from another door behind and wasted no time to throw it into the pond. It was a solace to his mind, as he thought that this will exonerated her deceased elder sister’s of all earthly sin. The way the director planned the scene is really beautiful when one finds as if the departed soul is vanishing through the wave by Apu’s throwing of that neckless. Bibhutibhushan portrayed child psychology in such a manner which exhibits the real touch of an artist. The overall scene gives a poetic touch and prove Ray’s virtuosity and versatility also an artist who loved and observed the nature’s beauty with flawlessness. This whole episode reveals the bonding of siblings and Apu’s deep lover for his elder sister. He missed her absence each and every time as she introduced him to many new and interesting things of the world in the time of growing age.
Music in every society has some special importance of expressions and emotions of human being. Similarly the music expresses the emotions of rural India which is very much evident in “Pather Panchali”. The most important passages of music of the film has a spirit of rural culture.
Every important composition of music of “Pather Panchali” was indeed a brilliant creation of Pt. Ravi Shankar. Almost throughout the film, a particular melody of a folk tune automatically became the theme music of the film. The music at the outset appears to be a very simple piece. But in reality Pt. Ravi Shankar was able to convey the typical spirit and essence of rural India of period. This quality requires an inner view of the music director. It was amazing to listen to such a folk tune in Sitar from Sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar who was purely Classical Sitar Player. His improvisation was commendable. Ravi Shankar’s folk tune was acclaimed highly in Europe and USA at that point of time.
The people of several countries remembered always along with visuals of film. The mystic quality in the music is one of the most important features of the film. Because we all know that when languages fail, music works. The simplicity in the background music is another wonderful quality. He used and arranged several musical instruments in different situations to enhance the meaningfulness. The use and mixing of foley sound are very helpful for the film.
From a broader point of view one may understand from the music of the film also showed the desperate condition of the poverty-ridden family. But they always faced the odds with patience. A particular scene may be mentioned here as a glaring example of their optimism even at difficult times. In this scene, we see that Harihar is writing something and dictating Apu and Sarbojaya is combing her daughter’s hair to make a ___________________ and thinking for an eligible bride-groom for their daughter.
[1] “Best human document award” at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival.
[2] The “Tar Shehnai” also spelled “Tarshenai” or sometimes in the above mentioned spelling, is an Esraj (an Indian bowed instrument whose sound is amplified by a metal horn attached to its sound board. The term is also used to refer to the horn itself. The horn of a phonograph has sometimes been used. The instrument sounds similar to a “Violin” or to “Sarangi”. And some opinion say it sounds like an Indian reed instrument like an “oboe” or “Shawn”. It is sometimes used instead of a “Shennai” when no shehnai player is available. The word “Tar” mean stringed.