What to say about this masterpiece? I think one would have to ransack the dictionaries to find an apt word to eulogize Pather Panchali. The human emotions portrayed in this work of art by Ray transcends the barriers of language, region, religion, culture. This film speaks in a universal language. If you truly love the movie watch it without the subtitles, then watch it with the audio muted. The effects would be the same.

I have been brought up in a culture where this movie is regarded as the ultimate creation of art though I deliberately did not watch the movie until I thought myself to be a little bit capable of appreciating the best work of Ray. I watched it at 27 and since then in the past twelve years, I have watched it more than 27 times.

Here are some of the remarks about the film-“Pather Panchali is perhaps the finest piece of filmed folklore since Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of the North.”-TIME,” as deeply beautiful and plainly poetic as any movie ever made. Rare and exquisite.”-Hazel-Dawn Dumpert of LA Weekly, “one of the greatest pictures ever made”- Philip French of The Observer.

Watch it as many times as you can and every time you will discover a new dimension of the movie. Sublime, humane, sensitive-this pastoral elegy is Indian cinema at its best. And never forget this movie was made with a shoestring budget with amateur casts.