Pather Panchali (novel) Pather Panchali (novel) Pather Panchali (, Pôther Pãchali, translated as Song of the Road) is a novel written by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay and was later adapted into a film of the same name by Satyajit Ray. "Pather Panchali" deals with the life of the Roy family, both in their ancestral village in rural Bengal and later when they move to Varanasi in search of a better life, as well as the anguish and loss they face during their travels. It first appeared as a serial in a Calcutta periodical in 1928 and was published as a book the next year; it
Pather Panchali of Calcutta's red-light districts, as the ideal candidate. Several minor roles were played by the villagers of Boral, where "Pather Panchali" was filmed. Shooting started on 27 October 1952. Boral, a village near Calcutta, was selected in early 1953 as the main location for principal photography, and night scenes were shot in-studio. The technical team included several first-timers, including Ray himself and cinematographer Subrata Mitra, who had never operated a film camera. Art director Bansi Chandragupta had professional experience, having worked with Jean Renoir on "The River". Both Mitra and Chandragupta went on to establish themselves as respected professionals. Mitra