Aparajito: Anik Dutta's next film traces Satyajit Ray’s journey of making Pather Panchali

Aparajito attempts to capture the entire process of the making of Pather Panchali a film that put Indian cinema in the global league

Jeetu Kamal as Aparajito Ray

Director Anik Dutta’s next release is Aparajito which is loosely based on Satyajit Ray’s journey of making Pather Panchali.

On Sunday, the makers dropped a teaser that encapsulates the entire journey of Satyajit Ray’s life and the early days of his career.

Aparajito (The unvanquished) was the second film of the famous Apu trilogy made by the great visionary.

But this upcoming film is neither a biopic nor a remake or sequel of the second film in the Apu trilogy.

This version of Aparajito made by Dutta will narrate the tale of a fictional young filmmaker named Aparajito Ray who’s working on his passion project which is a film named Pather Padaboli.

Aparajito Ray wants to stamp his own mark in cinema and wants to create his own distinct language and how he fights the oncoming obstacles.

It's a tribute to the great maestro on his 100th birth anniversary from Dutta and there are strong parallels between the real and the reel.

Especially the look of Jeetu Kamal, who’s playing the great auteur, has an uncanny resemblance to Ray. And the rest is achieved with a few prosthetic touch-ups by make-up artist Somnath Kundu.

Check out the trailer

Trinamool Congress youth-wing president and actor Sayani Ghosh is enacting the role of Bimala, wife of Aparajito and her character too has references to Ray’s wife Bijoya. The feature attempts to capture young Ray’s journey from a visualizer for an advertising agency to the filming process of his award-winning debut feature.

The first leg of the shoot began last year, and the first look of the film appeared around that same time which stunned the netizens and the cinema lovers equally.

The narrative conveys a journey of determination and undying passion for achieving a dream. When Satyajit Ray started making Pather Panchali he had to face immense financial difficulties. The production was interrupted several times due to funding issues and it took nearly three years for the film to be completed. The film was shot on a very limited budget and in real locations. It featured mostly amateur actors and was made by an inexperienced crew but still, it went to win multiple awards and recognitions both nationally and globally. Pandit Ravi Shankar composed the film’s soundtrack and score and Subrata Mitra was in charge of the cinematography.

Pather Panchali is still considered a benchmark and is often featured in lists of the greatest films ever made.

The makers have not yet announced a release date for Aparajito but the fans and cinema lovers are eagerly awaiting the grand arrival.

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