Pather Panchali

In the late-1910s, Harihar Roy earns a meagre living as a pujari in rural Bengal and nourishes dreams of becoming a poet and playwright. He imagines a brighter future for his family, even as money is scarce. The home is small and fragile, reflecting their precarious fortunes.

Sarbajaya shoulders the burden of caring for Durga, Apu, and their elderly cousin Indir Thakrun. Limited resources force them to share a cramped home, and Indir's presence often strains the family. Durga, meanwhile, treats Indir with affection, even as hunger and tension simmer.

Indir's arrival unsettles the household as she sometimes steals food from the kitchen. Sarbajaya grows openly resentful at having to accommodate the old relative. Durga and Apu try to maintain moments of normalcy despite the pressure.

One day the neighbor's wife accuses Durga of stealing a bead necklace and tries to pin the fault on Sarbajaya. Durga denies the accusation, and the weight of the claim strains the family's already fragile status. The incident deepens Sarbajaya's resentment toward Indir and the household's tension.

Durga and Apu find joy in simple village pleasures: watching bioscope pictures from a traveling vendor, chasing the candy man, and following a jatra troupe. They also listen to the distant whistle of a train, a sound that promises wider horizons. These small wonders offer brief respite from poverty.

As tensions rise, Sarbajaya becomes openly hostile toward Indir. Indir feels unwelcome and eventually seeks temporary refuge in another relative's home. The house grows quiet when Indir leaves for a while.

While Durga and Apu glimpse the train, Indir, feeling unwell, returns home and dies that night. The loss casts a pall over the family and intensifies their sense of hardship. The household mourns while money and meals remain scarce.

With prospects drying up in the village, Harihar travels to the city to seek a better job and income. He promises to return with money to repair their dilapidated house. The journey marks a turning point as the family waits and hopes.

During Harihar's absence, the family sinks deeper into poverty and Sarbajaya grows desperate and anxious. The inability to secure food and stability strains their relationships and spirits. Hope for a quick return wanes as days turn into months.

During the monsoon, Durga plays in the rain and catches a cold, which develops into a high fever. A thunderstorm battering the crumbling house heightens the danger to the already fragile family. The illness worsens over the night as rain pours in.

Durga dies the next morning, leaving the family devastated. Harihar returns with his merchandise from the city, only to discover the loss. Sarbajaya collapses in grief while Harihar cries out, overwhelmed by sorrow.

Apu finds the bead necklace that Durga had denied stealing and, in a quiet moment, throws it into a pond. The act underscores the family’s ordeal and the cost of hunger and denial. They prepare to leave the village.

The family decides to leave their ancestral home for Benaras and begins packing their few belongings. The decision marks the end of their ties to the village and a bid for a fresh start. They carry only what they can, bracing for an uncertain future.

They depart on an ox-cart toward Benaras, hopeful for renewal. As their house lies barren behind them, a snake slips into the now-deserted home, a quiet, ominous reminder of endings. The journey forward begins with an air of sadness and unresolved pain.