Christopher Nolan’s big message to Satyajit Ray: Pather Panchali blew my mind
Hollywood director Christopher Nolan praised the great Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray and described Pather Panchali as a film that blew his mind. He also said that he is excited to watch the remaining two films of The Apu Trilogy.
Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan has praised the great Indian director Satyajit Ray and said Pather Panchali (1955), first film apu trioJust blew his mind. The 55-year-old actor made the comments during a recent visit to the Criterion Closet in New York, where he chose Ray’s famous trilogy as one of the films he wanted to take home.
In a video shared by the Criterion Collection on X, Nolan called Ray “one of the greatest Indian filmmakers” and said he was excited to see the remaining two parts of the trilogy.
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The Criterion Closet is a renowned space in the Criterion Collection that houses over 1,000 classic films from around the world. Filmmakers, actors and artists often come to the room to browse the collection and talk about the films that have shaped them.
As Nolan looked through the shelves, he stopped there apu trio And said, “And then there’s apu trio By Satyajit Ray, one of the greatest Indian filmmakers. the trilogy begins Pather PanchaliWhich is an absolutely incredible film. It blew my mind. I haven’t seen parts two and three of the trilogy yet, so I’m very excited to get to it and finish the story.”
About this apu trio
Released in 1955, Pather Panchali is the first film of apu trio. Based on the novel by Vibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, the Bengali-language film follows young Apu and his family who struggle with poverty in rural Bengal. The film is known for its simple story, emotional depth and realistic depiction of everyday life. It received international recognition and is still considered one of the greatest films ever made.
the trilogy continues AparajitoReleased in 1956, and poor worldReleased in 1959, it depicts Apu in various stages of his life from childhood to adulthood.
Nolan’s connection with India
Nolan has had a special relationship with India over the years. She recently visited the country with producer Emma Thomas and actors Matt Damon and Tom Holland during the international promotional tour of their film odyssey. This visit was his third official visit to India.
At a press conference in Mumbai, Nolan said the India stoppage was not added at the last minute and was years in the making. Recalling a previous visit to the city, he said that he had traveled there on the invitation of his friend Shivendra for a conference on the future of cinema and the visit left an indelible impression on him. Nolan said, “I met a lot of filmmakers and really got to learn a little bit about the film culture here.”
He also praised the audience in India and their relationship with cinema. The director said, “I had never been able to appreciate in the world what films could be and what they should be for the audience. It seemed crazy to me that we would not bring our films here for the Mumbai audience.” He also said it was “an absolute thrill” to finally do it.
Nolan also said that he had planned a promotional trip to Mumbai during the release PrincipleWhich was partially shot in the city, but those plans were disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Before his latest trip, he spent about 10 days in India during the filming of key scenes in 2019 PrincipleStarring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. His first official visit took place in 2011, when he filmed parts of the dark Knight Rises In Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur.
odysseyBased on Homer’s epic poem, releasing in theaters worldwide on July 17, 2026.