Did you know the name of the film Pather Panchali, directed by the legendary Satyajit Ray, translates from Bengali as “Song of the Little Road“? Based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s 1929 novel of the same name, the film marked Ray’s directorial debut and tells the poignant tale of a poor rural family in Bengal. Begun on a shoestring budget in 1952, the project quickly ran into financial trouble. Ray was determined to finish the film despite setbacks, often using personal funds and even pawning his wife’s jewelry.
Halfway through filming, production came to a halt due to lack of money. The Government of West Bengal eventually stepped in to fund its completion. Interestingly, the grant was filed under “roads improvement” in official records. Some government officials assumed it was a documentary on rural development, influenced by its title that seemed to align with their ongoing public works programs.
Pather Panchali was finally completed and released in 1955. Despite early skepticism, it became one of the most celebrated films in world cinema. It won multiple international awards, including the Best Human Document prize at Cannes, and launched both Indian cinema and Satyajit Ray onto the global stage.
