Madhur Bhandarkar to take Satyajit Ray's celebrated Apu trilogy forward

A still from Apur Sansar

Six decades since Satyajit Ray's much-loved protagonist Apu reconciled with son Kajol in Apur Sansar (1959), cinephiles will find themselves in his world again. mid-day has learnt that director Subhrajit Mitra is set to offer Avijatrik - a Bengali drama that takes the story of Apur Sansar forward.

Presented by Madhur Bhandarkar, the film is based on the concluding part of the novel Aparajito, written by the late Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. Ray's works, Pather Panchali (1955) and Aparajito (1956) - that have achieved iconic status in world cinema since - were based on Bandopadhyay's novels by the same names.

Satyajit Ray

Gaurav Jalan, who is backing Avijatrik, says that they have sought the rights from the Bandopadhyay family. "Satyajit Ray too had acquired the rights to make the films. The Banerjee family has extended their support towards our movie, which is a tribute to Ray. We will give due credit to Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay and Ray in the opening titles."

Madhur Bhandarkar

Mitra's tale will train the spotlight on Apu's bond with his son as the former's wanderlust takes him across the country. The film will be shot in black-and-white to retain the aesthetic flavour that complements its backdrop of 1940's India. The casting is underway for the project that is scheduled to go on floors mid-year. Proud to present the labour of love, Bhandarkar says, "As a director, I have been a great admirer of Satyajit Ray, and Apu's journey always fascinated me. I hope this will be a visual treat to film lovers globally."

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