Part one of Satyajit Ray's trilogy introduces us to the poverty stricken family of the young "Apu" (Subir Banerjee). His family once had a guava orchard, but his poet and philosopher father "Harihar" (Kanu Bannerjee) had to trade that in to square up his profligate brother's debts. That now means…
1955 · DRAMA, HISTORY
Pather Panchali
Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work. Alone, his wife, Sarbojaya, looks after her rebellious daughter, Durga, and her young son, Apu, as well as Harihar's elderly aunt Indir. The children enjoy the small pleasures of their difficult life, while their parents suffer the daily indignities heaped upon them.
Availability
Where to watch Pather Panchali
28 official sources across 5 regions. Rows with a direct link open this exact title on the provider’s own site; the others open that provider’s own search for the title, where price, video quality and audio options are confirmed before you pay.
Official trailer for Pather Panchali, via JANUS. Open on YouTube
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Australia2 options
Checked 4 November 2026. Listings from TMDB / JustWatch data and they change daily; the provider page always shows the final price. Compare every option on JustWatch. MovieState links only to licensed services.
Editor’s note
Should you watch Pather Panchali?
Pather Panchali (1955) is best described as drama. Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work. Alone, his wife, Sarbojaya, looks after her rebellious daughter, Durga, and her young son, Apu, as well as Harihar's elderly aunt Indir. The children enjoy the small pleasures of their difficult life, while their parents suffer the daily indignities heaped upon them.
Directed by Satyajit Ray. Lead cast: Kanu Bannerjee, Karuna Banerjee, Subir Banerjee.
The runtime is 2h 05m, 519 ratings average 7.8/10.
A safe pick when you want drama done with care.
Written by the MovieState editorial team from TMDB data (synopsis, cast, crew, runtime, ratings, certification, provider listings). Verified 2026-11-04. Read our editorial policy.
The facts
Pather Panchali details
- Release date
- September 28, 1955
- Status
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 05m
- Genres
- Drama, History
- Original language
- BN
- Budget
- $31,500
- Box office
- $536,364
- Director
- Satyajit Ray
At a glance: Pather Panchali runs 2h 05m, was directed by Satyajit Ray, opened in US cinemas on September 28, 1955, has 28 licensed options across 5 regions tracked here.
Exact record pages: IMDb record · TMDB record · Official site
Audience reaction
Ratings and reviews
7.8/10520 ratings
Pather Panchali sits at 7.8 out of 10 from 520 user ratings. For context, the film's worldwide gross is $536K.
Scores show TMDB user ratings at the time of publishing and shift as new votes arrive.
FAQ
Pather Panchali — common questions
Is Pather Panchali worth watching?
Audiences rate it 7.8/10 from 519 votes. Read the editor's note above for who it suits, then check the provider page before paying.
Who directed Pather Panchali and who stars in it?
Directed by Satyajit Ray. Starring Kanu Bannerjee, Karuna Banerjee.
How long is Pather Panchali?
Pather Panchali runs 2h 05m.
Where can I watch Pather Panchali?
Official options are listed for United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India. We only link to licensed providers and never to unlicensed streaming sites.
When was Pather Panchali released?
1955-08-26 (Released).
Who is in it
Pather Panchali cast
More like this
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Sources & how we verify
Synopsis, cast, crew, runtime, certification, release dates and ratings come from the TMDB record for this title (TMDB). Provider listings and logos come from TMDB / JustWatch data. We check each page against those sources and date the page; corrections go through our editorial policy.
Verified 2026-11-04. MovieState does not host or stream video and links only to licensed providers.