A thread of Bengali art films/ non-commercial movies:

I will go by the filmmakers. So that yall know what gem yall missing here.

1. Satyajit Ray: Literal genius of the film, music, art, writing. Wrote about aliens coming on earth when Hollywood didn't have enough brain cells to even think about it.

Brought Oscar in our country for the first time and was a camera Genius.

Apu Trilogy:
1. Pather Panchali (A Tale of Road) 1955
2. Aparajito ( The Unvanquished) 1956
3. Apur sangsar (The world of Apu) 1959

Originally written by Bibhutivusan Bondhyopadhy, Pother Panchali was the story of a boy named Apu living in "Nishchindipur" Rural bengal 1910's.+

It's a story of Apu's growing up in between his father who is struggling to make the ends meet but also dreaming of having a better future, his mother who doesn't have much knowledge about the world outside of the village but she is caring nonetheless and his sister whom he loves

very much. Apu is a dreamer who reads magazine articles written by Tagore and dreams to see the world. However, the dream is shattered when his sister dies in a fever after not getting any medical treatment for sometimes. Apu's father leaves the village for kolkata shortly.+

The novel ends here but not the movies. Satyajit Ray extended the script and made two more films that revolve around Apu's adolescent and also his married life in "Aparajito" and "Apur Sangsar" respectively. With his genius skills, we see Apu coming to life and become one of us.

2.Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969)

When I say my childhood was shaped by this man I mean these films. My father and I used to watch it on tv. Originally written by his grandfather Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. This is a story about Gupi who is a terrible singer but+

unmatched love and enthusiasm about music. After being exiled from the village for singing in front of the king's house and disturbing his sleep he goes to the forest and meets Bagha Bayne a drum player who was also exiled for playing the drum badly. +

Together they started singing and playing drum initially to scare of the tiger but attracts the attention of a group of ghosts who are fascinated by their music. The king of ghosts happy with their performance grants them three boons that they can only use together. +

1. They can get food and clothes whenever needed by clapping one hand with each other.
2. They are given a pair of magic slippers with which they can travel anywhere.
3. They become flawless musicians and gain the ability to hold people in awe (literally) with their music.

Together they go through adventures where they meet kings, stop a war and at last become kings by doing so.

This movie has two sequels directed by his son Sandip Ray.

2. Hirak Rajar Deshe 1980
3. Gupi Bagha Fire elo. 1992

This film is not a "children's film." This has a powerful message enough to even anger the government and media of that time, the ghost dance of a single frame where he portrays the hypocrisy pissed off several right winger newspapers that time.

Except some idiots going through post colonial hangover very little bengalis haven't watched this film or don't know the songs by the heart. This movie shaped my childhood, I have heart the stories from my father and watched it with stars in my eyes.

After more than a decade of the first film, the two sequels were released by the contemporary govt's funding written by MR. Ray himself which I will elaborate later in this thread.