The Apu Trilogy The Apu Trilogy The Apu Trilogy comprises three Bengali films directed by Satyajit Ray: "Pather Panchali" (1955), "Aparajito" (1956) and "The World of Apu" (1959). They are frequently listed among the greatest films of all time and are often cited as the greatest movies in the history of Indian cinema. The original music for the films was composed by Ravi Shankar. They are based on two Bengali novels written by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay: "Pather Panchali" (1929) and "Aparajito" (1932). The three films went on to win many national and international awards, including three National Film Awards and seven awards from the
Ravi Shankar Shankar. He gave up dancing in 1938 to study sitar playing under court musician Allauddin Khan. After finishing his studies in 1944, Shankar worked as a composer, creating the music for the "Apu Trilogy" by Satyajit Ray, and was music director of All India Radio, New Delhi, from 1949 to 1956. In 1956, Shankar began to tour Europe and the Americas playing Indian classical music and increased its popularity there in the 1960s through teaching, performance, and his association with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and Beatles guitarist George Harrison. His influence on the latter helped popularize the use of Indian instruments