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{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The World of Apu
| image = Apur Sansar Poster.jpg
| alt = Poster
| caption = Film poster
| native_name = '''''Apur Sansar'''''
| director = [[Satyajit Ray]]
| producer = [[Satyajit Ray]]
| writer = [[Satyajit Ray]]
| based_on = {{Based on|''Aparajito''|[[Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay]]}}
| starring = [[Soumitra Chatterjee]],<br> [[Sharmila Tagore]],<br> Alok Chakravarty,<br> Swapan Mukherjee
| distributor =
| music = [[Ravi Shankar]]
| cinematography = [[Subrata Mitra]]
| released = {{Film date|1959|05|01|df=y}}
| runtime = 107 minutes
| country = [[India]]
| language = [[Bengali language|Bengali]]
| budget =
| gross = {{INR|75{{ndash}}80 [[lakh]]}}<ref name="bo"/>
}}
'''''Apur Sansar''''', also known as '''''The World of Apu''''' ({{lang-bn|অপুর সংসার|Apura sansāra}}), is a 1959 Indian [[Cinema of West Bengal|Bengali-language]] [[Epic films|epic]] [[drama film]] written and directed by [[Satyajit Ray]]. It is the third  part of ''[[The Apu Trilogy]]'', about the childhood and early adulthood of a young [[Bengali people|Bengali]] named Apu in the early twentieth century [[Indian subcontinent]]. (The first two parts of the trilogy are ''[[Pather Panchali]]'' and ''[[Aparajito]]''.) The film is based on the last half of the [[Bengali novels|Bengali novel]], ''[[Aparajito (novel)|Aparajito]]'', by [[Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay]].

Released in 1959, ''The World of Apu'' focuses on Apu's adult life, and also introduces the actors [[Soumitra Chatterjee]] and [[Sharmila Tagore]], who would go on to appear in many subsequent Ray films. The film won the [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film]] and several international awards, including the [[Sutherland Trophy|Sutherland Award for Best Original And Imaginative Film]] and [[National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film]].

==Plot==
In early 1940s, Apurba Kumar Roy (Apu) ([[Soumitra Chatterjee]]) is an unemployed graduate (completed study up to the intermediate science) living in a rented room at [[Tala, Calcutta]]. Despite his teacher's advice to go for higher studies, he is unable to do so because he cannot afford it. He tries to find a job, while barely getting by providing private tutoring. His main passion is writing a novel, partially based on his own life, hoping to get it published some day. One day, he meets his old friend Pulu, who coaxes him to join him on a trip to his village in [[Khulna]] to attend the marriage of a cousin named Aparna ([[Sharmila Tagore]]).

On the day of the marriage, it is revealed that the bridegroom has a serious mental disorder. The bride's mother cancels the marriage, despite the father's protests. He and the other villagers believe, according to prevalent Hindu tradition, that the young bride must be wedded off during the previously appointed [[Auspicious wedding dates|auspicious]] hour, otherwise, she will have to remain unmarried all her life. Apu, after initially refusing when requested by a few villagers, ultimately decides to take Pulu's advice and come to the rescue of the bride by agreeing to marry her. He returns with Aparna to his apartment in Calcutta after the wedding. He takes up a clerical job, and a loving relationship begins to bloom between them. Yet, the young couple's blissful days are cut short when Aparna [[Maternal mortality in fiction|dies while giving birth]] to their son, Kajal. Apu is overcome with grief and holds the child responsible for his wife's death.

He shuns his worldly responsibilities and becomes a recluse – travelling to different corners of [[India]], while the child is left with his maternal grandparents. Meanwhile, Apu throws away his manuscript for the novel he had been writing over the years. A few years later, Pulu finds Kajal growing wild and uncared for. He then seeks out Apu, who is working at a mining quarry and advises Apu one last time to take up his fatherly responsibility. At last, Apu decides to come back to reality and reunite with his son. When he reaches his in-laws' place, Kajal, having seen him for the first time in his life, at first does not accept him as a father. Eventually, he accepts Apu as a friend and they return to Calcutta together to start life afresh.

==Cast==
* [[Soumitra Chatterjee]] as Apu (Apurba Kumar Roy)
* [[Sharmila Tagore]] as Aparna, Apu's wife
* Swapan Mukherjee as Pulu
* Alok Chakravarty as Kajal
* Sefalika Devi as Pulu's wife
* Dhiresh Majumdar as Sasinarayan
* Dhiren Ghosh as the landlord

==Production==
Ray wanted fresh faces again for the film like other two films in the [[Apu Trilogy]] and thus he started auditioning. In others films he made in between, like ''[[Parash Pathar]]'' (1958) and ''[[Jalsaghar]]'' (1958), he did work with professional actors like [[Soumitra Chatterjee]], a radio announcer and a stage actor who, with doyen of [[Bengali theatre]] [[Sisir Bhaduri]], had first auditioned for the role of the adolescent Apu in ''[[Aparajito]]'' (1956). Though Ray thought he had the right look, he found him too old for the role. Ray remembered him and offered the role of adult Apu two years later. {{Sfn|Ray|1996|p=131}} Chatterjee was still unaware that he had already been selected for the title role. He had gone on the sets of Ray's fourth film, ''[[Jalsaghar]]'', to watch the shoot. That day, while he was leaving the sets, Ray called him over and introduced him to actor [[Chhabi Biswas]], saying, "This is Soumitra Chattopadhyay; he's playing Apu in my next film ''Apur Sansar''", leaving him surprised.<ref>{{cite news| title = Soumitra Chatterjee on his master Satyajit Ray | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/Soumitra-Chatterjee-on-his-master-Satyajit-Ray/articleshow/34684501.cms|date=9 May 2014| access-date = 2014-05-21| newspaper =The Times of India}}</ref> Ray however had a tough time finding an actress for the female lead Aparna. He even placed an ad in a local daily asking for photographs from girls between ages of 15 and 17. There were over a thousand responses to the ad, but Ray found none of them worth auditioning. This was when Ray came to know of a young girl, [[Sharmila Tagore]], who had recently performed at a dance recital at Children's Little Theatre (CLT) in Kolkata. She is related to poet [[Rabindranath Tagore]], and subsequently auditioned and was selected.{{Sfn|Ray|1996|p=131}}

Despite being selected, as a debutant actor, Chatterjee was nevertheless unsure of his career choice and especially his looks, as he did not consider himself photogenic. However, on 9 August 1958, when the first shot of the film was given an okay in one take, he realized he had found his vocation.<ref name=cnn>{{cite web| author=Anuradha SenGupta|title = Being Soumitra Chatterjee: Star of the East|publisher=CNN-IBN| url = http://ibnlive.in.com/news/being-soumitra-chatterjee-star-of-the-east/67961-19.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081201175954/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/being-soumitra-chatterjee-star-of-the-east/67961-19.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = 1 December 2008|date=29 June 2008| access-date = 2014-05-21 }}</ref>

==Awards==
;[[National Film Awards]] (India)
* '''Winner''' – [[7th National Film Awards|1959]] – [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film|President's gold medal for the All India Best Feature Film]]<ref name="7thawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/7th_nff.pdf|title=7th National Film Awards|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|access-date=4 September 2011}}</ref>

;[[British Film Institute|British Film Institute Awards]] ([[London Film Festival]])
*'''Winner''' – 1960 – [[Sutherland Trophy|Sutherland Award for Best Original And Imaginative Film]]

;14th [[Edinburgh International Film Festival]]
*'''Winner''' – 1960 – Diploma Of Merit

;[[National Board of Review of Motion Pictures|National Board of Review Awards]] (United States)
*'''Winner''' – [[National Board of Review Awards 1960|1960]] – [[National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Film]] [http://www.satyajitray.org/films/apursan.htm]

;[[British Academy Film Awards]] (United Kingdom)
*Nominated – [[15th British Academy Film Awards|1962]] – [[BAFTA Award for Best Film]]

==Reception and legacy==
[[File:President John F. Kennedy and others arrive at Dupont Theater for film screening.jpg|thumb|U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]] arrives at the Dupont Theater in [[Washington, D.C.]] for a screening of the film, 16 February 1961.]]
At [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''The World of Apu'' has a 96% fresh rating based on an aggregate of 27 reviews with an average score of 9.04/10. Its critic's consensus states: "Achingly poignant, beautifully shot, and evocatively atmospheric, The World of Apu closes out Satyajit Ray's classic trilogy on a high note."<ref name="Ref_">{{Rotten Tomatoes|id=world_of_apu}}</ref> In 1992, ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' (the [[British Film Institute]]'s film magazine) ranked ''The Apu Trilogy'' at #88 in its Critics' Poll list of [[Films considered the greatest ever|all-time greatest films]].<ref name=Caldwell>{{cite web|author=Aaron and Mark Caldwell|title=Sight and Sound|publisher=Top 100 Movie Lists|year=2004|url=http://www.geocities.com/aaronbcaldwell/dimsscri.html|access-date=2009-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729180509/http://geocities.com/aaronbcaldwell/dimsscri.html|archive-date=2009-07-29}}</ref> ''[[The World of Apu]]'' appeared in ''1982 Sight & Sound Poll of Greatest Films of All Time'' ranked at #42.<ref>{{cite web|title=SIGHT AND SOUND 1982 RANKING OF FILMS|url=http://www.geocities.com/the7thart/1982.html|access-date=29 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022225459/http://geocities.com/the7thart/1982.html|archive-date=22 October 2009}}</ref> In 2002, a combined list of ''Sight & Sound'' critics' and directors' poll results ranked ''The World of Apu'' at #93 in the list.<ref name="Ref_2002">{{cite web|title=2002 Sight & Sound Top Films Survey of 253 International Critics & Film Directors|publisher=Cinemacom|year=2002|url=http://www.cinemacom.com/2002-sight-sound.html|access-date=2009-04-19}}</ref> In 1998, the [[Asian cinema|Asian film]] magazine ''[[Cinemaya]]'''s critics' poll of all-time greatest films ranked ''The Apu Trilogy'' at #7 on the list.<ref name="Totaro2003">{{Cite journal|title=The "Sight & Sound" of Canons|first=Donato|last=Totaro|journal=Offscreen Journal|publisher=[[Canada Council|Canada Council for the Arts]]|date=31 January 2003|url=http://www.horschamp.qc.ca/new_offscreen/canon.html|access-date=2009-04-19}}</ref> In 1999, ''[[The Village Voice]]'' ranked ''The Apu Trilogy'' at #54 in its Top 250 "Best Films of the Century" list, based on a poll of critics.<ref name="Ref_1999">{{cite news|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/take/one/full_list.php3?category=10 |title=Take One: The First Annual Village Voice Film Critics' Poll |access-date=2006-07-27|year=1999 |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826201343/http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/take/one/full_list.php3?category=10|archive-date= 2007-08-26}}</ref> The film was selected as the Indian entry for the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] at the [[32nd Academy Awards]], but was not accepted as a nominee.<ref>Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences</ref>

In 1996, ''The World of Apu'' was included in Movieline Magazine's "100 Greatest Foreign Films".<ref name="Ref_a">{{cite web|title=100 Greatest Foreign Films by Movieline Magazine|publisher=[[Filmsite.org]]|url=http://www.filmsite.org/foreign100_2.html|access-date=2009-04-19}}</ref><ref name="Ref_2008">{{cite web|title=Movieline's 100 Best Foreign Films|publisher=[[GreenCine]]|date=6 April 2008|url=http://www.greencine.com/list?action=viewList&listID=10368|access-date=2009-04-19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090604073223/http://www.greencine.com/list?action=viewList&listID=10368|archive-date=4 June 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2001, film critic [[Roger Ebert]] included ''The Apu Trilogy'' in his list of "100 Great Movies" of all time.<ref name="Roger2001">{{cite news|title=The Apu Trilogy (1959)|author=Roger Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|publisher=rogerebert.com|date=4 March 2001|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20010304%2FREVIEWS08%2F103040301%2F1023|access-date=2009-04-19}}</ref> In 2002, ''The World of Apu'' featured in "[[The New York Times]] Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made".<ref name="Ref_b">[https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made], THE FILM CRITICS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES, ''[[The New York Times]]'', 2002</ref> In 2005, ''The Apu Trilogy'' was included in [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]]'s [[Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies|All-Time 100 best movies]] list.<ref name="Ref_2005">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/the_complete_list.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050523235033/http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/the_complete_list.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 May 2005|title=All-time 100 Movies|access-date=2008-05-19|work=Time|publisher=Time Inc|date=2005-02-12}}</ref>

At the Indian box office, the film earned a profit of {{INR|75{{ndash}}80 [[lakh]]}} for distributors.<ref name="bo">{{cite journal |title=The India Magazine of Her People and Culture |journal=The India Magazine of Her People and Culture |date=1995 |volume=16 |page=16 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cAluAAAAMAAJ |publisher=A. H. Advani |quote=In 30 years, ''Apur Sansar'' and ''Teen Kanya'' have earned Rs 75 to 80 lakh for their Indian distributors.}}</ref>

''The World of Apu'' has been influential across the world. In [[Gregory Nava]]'s 1995 film ''[[My Family (film)|My Family]]'', the final scene is duplicated from the final scene of ''Apur Sansar''. The film's influence can also be seen in famous works such as several [[Philip Kaufman]] films.<ref name=Metroactive>{{cite web|title=Ghost 'World': The influential presence of Satyajit Ray's 'The World of Apu' lingers over some of the greatest American films of all time|author=Steve Palopoli|publisher=[[Metro Silicon Valley|Metroactive]]|date=8–15 October 2003|url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/10.08.03/apu-0341.html|access-date=2010-01-16}}</ref> References to ''The World of Apu'' are also found in several films by European filmmaker [[Jean-Luc Godard]],<ref name="Andre">{{cite magazine|author = André Habib|magazine = Senses of Cinema | url=http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/16/godard_habib.html | title=Before and After:Origins and Death in the Work of Jean-Luc Godard | access-date=2006-06-29 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060614150838/http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/16/godard_habib.html  |archive-date = 2006-06-14}}</ref> and in [[Paul Auster]]'s 2008 novel ''[[Man in the Dark (novel)|Man in the Dark]]'' where two characters have a discussion about the film.<ref name="Douglas2008">{{cite news|title=Man in the Dark, by Paul Auster: Reflections from a hall of mirrors where the present changes shape|author=Douglas Kennedy|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=19 September 2008|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/man-in-the-dark-by-paul-auster-934871.html|access-date=2009-07-09|location=London}}</ref> In 2012 the film was ranked #235 in the ''Sight & Sound Top 250 Films'' list.<ref>{{cite web|title=Apur Sansar (1958)|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6c01bcfe|website=bfi.org}}</ref>

==Preservation==
The [[Academy Film Archive]] preserved the entire Apu Trilogy in 1996, including ''Apur Sansar''.

==See also==
* [[Cinema of West Bengal|Bengali cinema]]
** [[Cinema of West Bengal]]
* [[Cinema of India]]
** [[Parallel Cinema]]
* [[Writer's block]]
* [[List of submissions to the 32nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film]]
* [[List of Indian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book|last=Ray|first=Satyajit|title=My Years with Apu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ss2sw8FObM8C&pg=PA131|year=1996|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-024780-0}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0052572}}
* {{tcmdb title|id=96277}}
* {{amg movie|55467}}
* [http://www.satyajitray.org/films/apursan.htm ''Apur Sansar''] at SatyajitRay.org

{{Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Awards for ''The World of Apu''
|list=
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film}}
{{NationalFilmAwardBestFeatureFilm}}
{{Sutherland Trophy}}
}}
{{Indian submission for Academy Awards}}
{{Satyajit Ray}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:World Of Apu}}
[[Category:1959 films]]
[[Category:1950s coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:Bengali-language films]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Best Feature Film National Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Films set in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Films directed by Satyajit Ray]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Satyajit Ray]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ravi Shankar]]
[[Category:1950s Bengali-language films]]
[[Category:1959 drama films]]

The World of Apu - Revision history

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