DirectorSatyajit Raywas the godfather of Indian cinema, and widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. He specialized in realist dramas and character studies, which tookelements of Italian neorealismbut relocated them to settings in India, usually rural Bengal. He’s particularly famous for his coming-of-age trilogy about the character of Apu, which is frequently cited as a landmark of world cinema.
His works usually feature complex characters and social commentary alongside poetic cinematography. At their best, they transport the viewer to faraway places and times but remain relatable thanks to finely-drawn characters. Ray’s movies were hugely influential, not only in his home country but across the world. Directors as varied asMartin Scorsese,Danny Boyle, andWes Andersonhave referred to him as an inspiration. These are the finest of Ray’s films, as ranked by the users of IMDb.
10’Pratidwandi' (1970)
IMDb: 8.1/10
Pratidwandi(meaning “The Adversary”) is a compelling portrayal of the socio-political turbulence in Kolkata during the late 1960s. The narrative revolves around Siddhartha (Dhritiman Chatterjee), a recent graduate struggling to find employment in a city marred by high unemployment and political unrest. He’s torn between his ambitious, career-oriented sister and his revolutionary brother who wants to remake the system. The stress of his situation gets too much for him, and Siddartha begins to hallucinate.
Pratidwandiis less of a character study than a social study, looking at the unstable political climate of the time. Siddartha’s siblings become archetypes representing different ways of dealing with these social problems. His sister submits to the system in order to get ahead, while his brother seeks to bring the whole thing crashing down. However, Siddartha feels alienated from both his sister’s hard-nosed realism and his brother’s idealism. It’s a smart story, shot in an immersive documentary style.
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9’Aranyer Din Ratri' (1970)
Aranyer Din Ratri(aka “Days and Nights in the Forest”) follows four urban friends who decide to escape the confines of city life and vacation in the forests of Palamau. But as they immerse themselves in the wilderness, the dynamics among the friends begin to unravel. Each character represents a different facet of the urban middle class: Ashim (Soumitra Chatterjee) is a rich professional, Sanjoy (Subhendu Chatterjee) is a labor executive who dreams of being a writer, Shekhar (Rabi Ghosh) is unemployed and takes nothing seriously, and Hari (Samit Bhanja) is a cricketer reeling from a breakup.
Visually,Aranyer Din Ratriis fantastic, all tranquil thickets and dappled groves against a bright summer backdrop. Through cinematographerSoumendu Roy’s camera,the forest looks almost magical. The story is similarly light-touch and wistful, with a focus on unspoken words and unfulfilled longing. A key part of the narrative is the friends' encounter with a tribal community in the forest, which leads to culture clashes and self-discovery.
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8’Charulata' (1964)
Charulatatakes place in 1879 when India was still under British rule.Madhabi Mukherjeestars as Charulata, an intelligent and introspective woman who feels trapped in her marriage and domestic routines. Her husband, Bhupati (Shailen Mukherjee), is engrossed in his newspaper business, leaving Charulata with ample time but little emotional fulfillment. The narrative takes a turn when Bhupati’s cousin, Amal (Soumitra Chatterjee), visits their home. Charulata and Amal share a deep intellectual and emotional connection, which threatens to turn her world upside down.
Charulatais similar toWong Kar-wai’sIn the Mood for Lovein that it focuses on missed connections and near love. It’s Ray’sfinest portrait of a romance, featuring both subtle, authentic acting and masterful direction. The opening and closing scenes are particularly highly regarded, with the latter often ranked among the best uses of a freeze-frame in cinema history.
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7’Aparajito' (1956)
IMDb: 8.2/10
Aparajitois the second part of the Apu Trilogy, focusing on the titular character as hetransitions from adolescence to adulthood. Picking up where the first entry left off, Apu (playedPinaki Sen Guptaas a child andSmaran Ghosalas a teenager) and his mother, Sarbajaya (Karuna Banerjee) move to the holy city of Varanasi, where Apu pursues his education. He excels there, eventually winning a scholarship to study in Kolkata. However, this means leaving his family behind.
Through these characters,Aparajitoexamines family ties and the clash between tradition and modernity. The emotional story is complemented by memorable, poetic images from cinematographerSubrata Mitra,who was actually a still photographer at the time but whom Ray convinced to give film a try. Mitra uses all kinds of tricks to make the film look good, including the innovation he called ‘bounce lighting’. This involved placing a white cloth over the set to emulate the sky and reflecting light off this onto the actors.
6’Pather Panchali' (1955)
Pather Panchaliis the first entry in the Apu Trilogy, looking at the character as a young boy. Set in the rural villages of Bengal, the narrative revolves around the Roy family—Harihar (Kanu Banerjee), his wife Sarbajaya (Karuna Banerjee), and their children Apu (Subir Banerjee) and Durga (Uma Dasgupta). They grapple with poverty, unrealized dreams, and loss. When their financial situation worsens, Harihar heads to the city in search of work, while Durga falls gravely ill after the monsoons.
The movie is a remarkable snapshot of childhood, which is rooted in its particular time and place yet universal in its themes. Even more impressively, this was Ray’s directorial debut, but it feels like the work of a veteran. Here, he channels the realism of directors likeVittorio De SicaandJean Renoirto great effect.Pather Panchaliwas the first Indian film to receive international attention, and it firmly placed Ray on the map.
5’Sonar Kella' (1974)
IMDb: 8.3/10
Sonar Kella(which means “The Golden Fortress”) isa mystery adventureabout Mukul (Kushal Chakraborty), a young boy who claims to remember his past life in a golden fortress containing precious jewels. Dr. Hemanga Hajra (Sailen Mukherjee), a parapsychologist, becomes intrigued by Mukul’s case and decides to investigate. They head to the deserts of Rajasthan, which is famous for its old ruins, hoping to find the fortress.
However, crooks want to claim the jewels for themselves and set their sights on the boy. They attempt to kidnap Mukul but end up nabbing the wrong kid. Fearing for his son’s safety, Mukul’s father hires private investigator Feluda (Soumitra Chatterjee) to keep Mukul safe.Sonar Kellais more plot-based than most of Ray’s other movies, but that’s also its charm. It’s worth checking out once for the breezy humor and the charismatic performance from Chatterjee which shows off his range as an actor.
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4’Mahanagar' (1963)
Mahanagar(aka “The Big City”) revolves around the Mazumdar household family, made up of dad Subrata (Anil Chatterjee), mom Arati (Madhabi Mukherjee), their children, and Subrata’s parents. Times are tough, so they decide that Arati must get a job, and she begins working as a door-to-door saleswoman. At first, she’s nervous, but her work soon brings her into contact with people from all walks of life. She enjoys it, and her confidence and independence grow. However, the conservative cultural norms frown upon a working housewife.
Subrata’s parents disapprove of Arati’s work, and Subrata himself struggles with feelings of insecurity around not being able to support the family on his own. All of these issues have to be reconciled if the family is to stay together. Ray handles all this with style and sensitivity, considering multiple characters' points of view. We care about the story because of the understated, believable performances. Mukherjee, in particular, absolutely shines.
3’Nayak: The Hero' (1966)
Here, Ray draws inspiration fromIngmar Bergman’sWild Strawberriesto tell a story about Arindam Mukherjee (Uttam Kumar), a famous film actor traveling by train from Kolkata to Delhi to receive an award. On the journey, he crosses paths with Aditi (Sharmila Tagore), a young journalist who is hostile to Mukherjee but hopes to interview him for her magazine. He opens up to her, reflecting back on his life, especially his insecurities and feelings of guilt. We learn about his story through flashbacks and dreams.
Nayakmakes for one ofthe best character studiesof an actor ever put to film. Mukherjee is a complex figure, hiding behind layers of performance and illusion, but the story slowly peels everything back to explain how he became who he is. Ray praised Kumar’s performance,saying, “He constantly surprised and delighted me with unexpected little details of action and behavior which came from him and not from me, which were always in character and always enhanced a scene.”
2’Jana Aranya' (1975)
IMDb: 8.4/10
Much likePratidwandi,Jana Aranya(meaning “The Middleman”) is a social critique looking at the stifling economic conditions of mid-70s India.Pradip Mukherjeeis Somnath, a young graduate struggling to find employment. Under the weight of familial responsibilities, Somnath reluctantly enters the world of corruption and deceit to secure a job. He engages in some unethical activities to get by, but these chafe against the moral upbringing he received from his parents.
This is probably Ray’s bleakest movie, fromthe morally gray protagonistto the grim black-and-white cinematography of the city, highlighting its worst aspects. It offers no consolation or easy answers, which, depending on your point of view, is either its downfall or its biggest strength. Ray himself has acknowledgedJana Aranya’s cynicism, contrasting it with his more hopeful films set in the past. “[With the period pieces], one could think of a noble and heroic character, but no longer today — people have become diminished in stature, I feel,“he said.
1’The World of Apu' (1959)
IMDb: 8.5/10
The World of Apuis the concluding chapter of the Apu Trilogy. It continues the journey of Apu (Soumitra Chatterjee) as he navigates the complexities of adulthood. Apu, now a struggling writer in Kolkata, meets and marries Aparna (Sharmila Tagore). They quickly fall in love and Apu finds peace in her company. However, his world is shattered when Aparna dies during childbirth, and he feels disconnected from the baby. He leaves the child with Aparna’s parents and runs off, traveling India and working odd jobs. The crux of the story is whether Apu will remain a wanderer or if he will return home to his son.
The movie is generally considered to be the most accomplished of the trilogy and one of the greatest films of all time. It’s finely constructed on all levels, from Mitra’s visuals to the music to Chatterjee’s wonderfully complex performance. The result is a vividwindow into a different time and culturebut with a focus on the feelings that are common to us all.
