OVERLAY REPORT

At the time of its release in **May 1959**, *Apur Sansar* (The World of Apu) was received with a level of critical and commercial enthusiasm that surpassed its predecessor, *Aparajito*. While the second film of the trilogy had struggled to find an audience in India, *Apur Sansar* became a major box-office hit and a cultural milestone both domestically and internationally. ### **1. Domestic Reception (India)** In Bengal, the film was a significant success, eventually earning a profit of approximately **₹75–80 lakh**, a substantial sum for a regional film at the time. * **Apu’s "Redemption":** Indian audiences had initially found the adolescent Apu of *Aparajito* to be "callous" or "ungrateful" for leaving his mother to study in the city. *Apur Sansar* was seen as a restorative conclusion where Apu finally faces the consequences of his choices and achieves emotional maturity. * **The Debutants:** The pairing of **Soumitra Chatterjee** (adult Apu) and the 14-year-old **Sharmila Tagore** (Aparna) was hailed for its "electric chemistry." Contemporary Indian reviews frequently commented on the "unforced beauty" and "lyrical tenderness" of their brief married life, which became a gold standard for depicting romance in Indian cinema. * **Controversy and Ray's Defense:** Despite the praise, some Bengali critics attacked Ray for deviating from Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's original novel (specifically the way Apu's wife dies and how Apu abandons his son). This prompted Ray to write a famous defensive article titled **"Should A Film-Maker Be Original?"** in *Filmfare* (August 28, 1959), where he argued that cinema must find its own visual truth independent of literature. ### **2. International Reception** The film's international release (often titled *The World of Apu*) solidified Satyajit Ray’s status as a global master of the medium. * **The New York Times (Bosley Crowther):** Crowther, who had famously dismissed *Pather Panchali* as a "rough cut," gave *Apur Sansar* a more respectful but still **mixed review**. He praised Ray’s "soft and relaxed" filmmaking style but criticized the characters as "clichés" and noted that the film "takes patience to be enjoyed." Despite this, the film ran for eight months in U.S. theaters. * **Time Magazine:** The magazine’s review was glowing, famously calling the film **"perhaps the finest piece of filmed folklore since Robert Flaherty's *Nanook of the North*."** It later included the film in its "All-Time 100 Movies" list. * **Newsweek:** The publication called the film **"a jewel from India"** and "one of the most stunning first films in movie history" (referring to the completion of the trilogy as a first major work). * **Sight and Sound (UK):** The influential British film magazine, led by Penelope Houston, was an early and passionate champion. Houston wrote that Ray's films would serve as **"cinema's India"** for decades to come. ### **3. Awards and Formal Recognition (1959–1962)** The film quickly accumulated prestigious awards that reflected its immediate impact: * **National Film Award (1959):** Won the **President's Gold Medal** for the Best Feature Film in India. * **National Board of Review (US, 1960):** Awarded **Best Foreign Language Film**. * **British Film Institute (1960):** Won the **Sutherland Award** for the "Best Original and Imaginative Film." * **BAFTA Nomination (1962):** Received a nomination for Best Film. ### **4. Technical & Stylistic Commentary** At the time, critics were particularly struck by **Subrata Mitra’s cinematography**. The use of "bounce lighting" (which Mitra pioneered on the set of *Aparajito* and refined here) was noted for giving the interior scenes of Apu’s cramped Calcutta apartment a soft, naturalistic glow that was revolutionary compared to the harsh studio lighting of 1950s commercial cinema. **Ravi Shankar’s score** was also praised for its emotional resonance, particularly the motifs used during the final father-son reunion.