Apur Sansar

Apur Sansar 1959

8.10

Apu is a jobless ex-student dreaming vaguely of a future as a writer. An old college friend talks him into a visit up-country to a village wedding. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 1996.

1959

Aparajito

Aparajito 1956

7.90

Aparajito picks up where the first film leaves off, with Apu and his family having moved away from the country to live in the bustling holy city of Varanasi (then known as Benares). As Apu progresses from wide-eyed child to intellectually curious teenager, eventually studying in Kolkata, we witness his academic and moral education, as well as the growing complexity of his relationship with his mother. This tenderly expressive, often heart-wrenching film, which won three top prizes at the Venice Film Festival, including the Golden Lion, not only extends but also spiritually deepens the tale of Apu. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 1996.

1956

Three Daughters

Three Daughters 1961

7.60

'Teen Kanya' is an anthology film based upon short stories by Rabindranath Tagore, as a tribute on the author's centenary. The title means "Three Daughters", and the film's original Indian release contained three stories, with three central female characters linking the stories together. 'The Postmaster' concerns an orphan girl who grows attached to the postmaster she is caring for after he teaches her to read and write. 'Monihara' is a supernatural tale about a woman obsessed with the jewels her husband buys for her. 'Samapti' follows a young man who falls for an unconventional girl from his new village instead of his arranged bride, the daughter of a respectable family. The international release did not include 'Monihara', and was released as 'Dui Kanya', or "Two Daughters". Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation in 1996.

1961

The Branches of the Tree

The Branches of the Tree 1990

7.00

When a wealthy patriarch falls ill on his 70th birthday, three of his sons rush in from Calcutta, leading to a reunion filled with painful ironies and lingering disillusionment. As the family—including an addled fourth son who lives with the old man—watches and waits, the static occasion brings out simmering tensions in their family dynamics, from the father’s moral rectitude to the business ambition of two sons and the withdrawal of their siblings.

1990