Trivia for
Pather Panchali (1955) More at IMDbPro »

• Rated as one of the best 100 films of all time by the Time Magazine in 2005.
  
  
• This film was shot piecewise over five years; often, production was halted due to lack of funds. Eventually, the West Bengal Government provided enough money for Satyajit Ray to complete the film.
  
  
• After the film's great success, Ray was able to obtain a grant from the West Bengal government and he was able to complete his projected trilogy at the behest of the then Prime Minister of India.
  
  
• Legend has it that on the first day of shooting, Satyajit Ray had never directed a scene, his cameraman Subrata Mitra had never photographed one and none of his child actors had even been screentested for their roles.
  
  
• Cinematographer Subrata Mitra was originally a stills photographer whose work Ray had admired. Mitra learned his craft on photographing for films by borrowing a 16mm camera.
  
  
• A rough cut was seen by John Huston who brought the film to the attention of Hollywood.
  
  
• Satyajit Ray first became involved with 'Bibhutibhushan Bandhipadhyaya''s source novel in 1945 when he was commissioned to illustrate a children's edition of the book.
  
  
• The international success of "Panther Panchali" allowed Ray to quit his job at the advertising agency he had been working at, and devote himself to film-making, literature and art.
  
  
• Satyajit Ray's directorial debut.
  
  
• The first film in Ray's Apu trilogy.
  
  
• The film never had a complete screenplay. The cast took most of their cues from Ray's drawings and notes.
  
  
• The title is translated as "song of the little road".
  
  
• Ray's adaptation of 'Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay''s semi-autobiographical novel differs significantly from its source. Ray restructured the entire story and threw out elements that he felt were unnecessary.
  
  
• Made on a shoestring budget, even to the extent that Satyajit Ray sold some of his beloved LPs as well as his life insurance policy while his wife Bijoya was convinced to pawn her jewels.
  
  
• As 'Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay' had passed way, Satyajit Ray had to get permission to make the film from his widow.
  
  
• Apu was spotted sitting on a neighbor's terrace by the director's wife.
  
  
• Halfway through filming, Ray ran out of funds. The Government of West Bengal loaned him the rest, allowing him to complete the film. This loan is listed in public records at the time as "roads improvement", a nod to the film's translated title.
  
  

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