Aparajito by Satyajit Ray

 

Aparajito (The Unvanquished) is a 1956 Bengali film written directed by Satyajit Ray (1921–1992). It is adapted from the first half of Bibhutibhushan Bannerjee's novel Aparajito. The story as well as movie is one of the best I have ever watched.

In the story, a poor Brahmin family: a man, his wife and only son move from their village in Bengal to Varanasi where the man starts working as priest on the Ganga ghat. They are very poor, although the boy goes to school. Satyajit Ray has captured the images or old Varanasi so well that we are transported into that age and that place along with the camera. Then, the man catches fever and quickly dies. This episode is shown in such a touching manner that it has become a masterpiece. The man did not have enough money, so he did not want to call a doctor. He made some home medicine which makes him better. But next day, he goes to Ganga ghat for a bath, much to displeasure of his wife who would rather have him rest. While returning, he falls sick again. Before dying, he asks for Ganga jal and dies after having a sip. During his sickness of a few days, he does not complain, he does not curse his poverty, he does not call for any help. He showed a complete acceptance of his fate and his death, which was beyond imagination. I know movies and literature sometimes romanticizes death, but the manner in which Satyajit Ray has shown it, is unparalleled.

Now, even before her husband died, a neighbor tries to take benefit of the woman, whom she scares away. Then she works as a housemaid in some rich person’s home. But looking at the situation of her son Appu who keeps wandering here and there, she decides to rather return to her village in Bengal.

Once in village, the boy shows good talent in studies and after a few year when he is in teen age, he is sent to Calcutta where he studies in college during the day time and works at a printing press during the night to cover his expenses. His struggles are also shown in the movie, although the boy does not speak much and hence there is a kind of impending silence on the screen.

But after Appu moved to Calcutta, his mother becomes all alone. There is a very touching episode when Appu visits village for 4 days and she asks him to stay for one more day, but he decides to go. Later, he leaves the train, returns home and just goes to sleep.

But later on, as he struggles to cope up with the city life and his studies, he stops visiting village. His mother becomes sick, writes him letters but he declines to visit village. In the end, his mother stops asking him to come visit her, gets sick and dies. Appu gets a letter from a relative, visits the village, cries upon finding that she is gone and has already been cremated. But when a old man (relative) asks him to stay in the village for a few days and complete the last rites, he says that he would do it in Calcutta itself and leaves. This last climax stuns the viewers and this is also where a magic moment is created by Ray.

Here are a few pictures from the beginning of the movie.

This is one of the masterpieces that I am fortunate to watch.

- Rahul Tiwary