- Christopher Nolan admired Satyajit Ray’s The Apu Trilogy at Criterion Closet in New York
- Nolan praised Pather Panchali as an incredible film and plans to watch the trilogy's parts two and three
- The Apu Trilogy depicts Apu’s life stages, beginning with the 1955 Bengali film Pather Panchali
Christopher Nolan has once again shown his admiration for Indian cinema, and this time, it is legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray who has caught his attention. During a recent visit to the famous Criterion Closet in New York, the Oscar-winning director picked The Apu Trilogy as one of the films he wanted to take home and spoke about the lasting impact of Ray's work.
The Criterion Closet is a well-known space at the Criterion Collection that houses more than 1,000 classic films from across the world. Filmmakers, actors and artists often visit the room to browse through the collection and talk about the movies that have shaped them.
In a video shared by the Criterion Collection on X, Nolan looked through the shelves before stopping at The Apu Trilogy. While speaking about the films, he said, “And then there's the Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, one of the greatest Indian filmmakers. The trilogy starts with Pather Panchali, which is an absolutely incredible film. It just blew my mind. I haven't yet seen parts two and three of the trilogy, so I'm pretty excited to get this and complete the story.”
About Pather Panchali
Released in 1955, Pather Panchali is the first film in The Apu Trilogy. Based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's novel, the Bengali-language film follows young Apu and his family as they struggle with poverty in rural Bengal. The film is known for its simple storytelling, emotional depth and realistic portrayal of everyday life. It went on to earn international recognition and is still considered one of the greatest films ever made.
The trilogy continues with Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959), following Apu through different stages of his life, from childhood to adulthood.
Nolan's India Connection
Christopher Nolan has shared a special connection with India over the years. He recently visited the country during the promotional tour of his IMAX epic The Odyssey, marking his third official visit.
Before this, he spent around 10 days in India in 2019 while shooting important scenes for Tenet, starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. His first official visit came in 2011 when he filmed portions of The Dark Knight Rises at the historic Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur.