--- title: "The World of Apu" year: 1959 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-world-of-apu" fi1m_id: "the-world-of-apu" imdb_id: "tt0052572" tmdb_id: 896 wikidata_id: "Q622376" fi1m_score: 91 critics_reviews: 2 published: "2026-09-25T09:00:18.656298+00:00" updated: "2026-09-25T09:00:19.165992+00:00" region: "CH" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The World of Apu (1959) Directed by Satyajit Ray · 1h 45m · Drama ## Identity The World of Apu - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-world-of-apu - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-world-of-apu - **IMDb ID:** tt0052572 - **TMDB ID:** 896 - **Wikidata ID:** Q622376 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052572/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/896, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q622376 **Fi1m score: 91** · Critics: 2 of 6 reviews so far *In a sentence:* Apu gets the title; Sharmila Tagore gets our undivided attention > Satyajit Ray’s *The World of Apu* is tender, funny and worth anyone’s evening. Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore make its relationships persuasive, though we sometimes wish the film would give Aparna more room. ## Synopsis Apurba ‘Apu’ Roy (Soumitra Chatterjee) is the central character of *The World of Apu*, alongside Aparna Roy (Sharmila Tagore) and Pulu (Swapan Mukherjee). The drama also features Apu’s neighbour (Belarani Devi), a landlord (Dhiren Ghosh), an office associate (Shanti Bhattacherjee), Shashinarayan (Dhiresh Majumdar) and his wife (Sefalika Devi). Satyajit Ray writes and directs, adapting a novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. Subrata Mitra supplies the cinematography and Ravi Shankar the music for a film that runs for 105 minutes. ## Review Satyajit Ray’s *The World of Apu* earns an unusually strong recommendation because it makes its people worth knowing. We care about Apu without needing to approve of him, and the film allows him enough vanity to keep the affection honest. Soumitra Chatterjee gives him intelligence without making him infallible or especially good at understanding anybody else. There is humour in that, and the humour matters: affection would become rather tiring if everyone behaved impeccably. The screenplay draws on a novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. Chatterjee is particularly good at the slight hesitation between thinking something and deciding to say it. Apu can appear absorbed in his own thoughts without becoming inaccessible, and the performance leaves room for awkwardness. We are allowed to notice when he is being irritating, which makes the film’s tenderness easier to accept. There is no demand to treat him as an exemplary person simply because his name is in the title. Sharmila Tagore, as Aparna Roy, makes an equally strong impression with less apparent effort. Her attention to her fellow actor changes how we watch him; she can make an expression seem less assured than it first appeared. We were moved by how carefully these two listen to each other. Neither seems to be waiting politely for the next line, and that small distinction makes their closeness convincing. Aparna often seems to have noticed more than she chooses to say. Subrata Mitra’s cinematography rewards that sort of watching; the faces hold our attention without seeming to have been arranged for our admiration. Bansi Chandragupta’s production design feels equally responsive to the actors, giving them surroundings that seem inhabited rather than displayed. We do not find ourselves looking past a performance to admire the setting. That restraint helps, because small changes of expression need to count in a film so interested in how people regard each other. Dulal Dutta’s editing gives a reaction its proper weight, so that a scene need not belong only to the person speaking. We have time to register how a remark has landed without feeling that the film is waiting for us to catch up. Ravi Shankar’s music contributes warmth without making us feel pushed into sympathy. The emotion stays proportionate to the people we have come to know. At 105 minutes, the film does not need great length to make those people familiar. The reservation is with how the screenplay distributes its attention. We wanted more of Aparna’s thoughts, and her performance makes that wish harder to dismiss as a request for a different film. Apu’s feelings receive a degree of consideration that can make everyone else’s seem secondary, however persuasively they are acted. His performance makes that concentration rewarding, but it cannot remove the slight frustration of seeing another interesting person chiefly through the leading man’s concerns. The wit gives *The World of Apu* an advantage over relationship dramas that become solemn whenever affection matters. Its characters remain capable of amusing us, and the film rarely presses for a response before the actors have earned it. There is pleasure here in watching people gradually become familiar, including the things about them that we might find trying in company. Give the performances an uninterrupted evening; neither benefits from being watched between other things. *Fi1m score 91, published 25 September 2026.* ## Straight answers **Is The World of Apu worth watching?** *The World of Apu* is worth watching for its tender, funny relationships and persuasive performances, and we score it 91 out of 100. Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore make it an unusually strong recommendation for anyone drawn to character-led drama, though we wish Aparna’s thoughts received as much attention as Apu’s. **How long is The World of Apu, and what is it rated?** *The World of Apu* runs 1h 45m. It is a drama film. **Where can I watch The World of Apu in Switzerland?** *The World of Apu* is not on any streaming or rental service in Switzerland at the moment. It is available in 6 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is The World of Apu, and is it suitable for children?** *The World of Apu* has no UK certificate listed, while its US classification suggests parental caution for children under 13. We cannot give a specific assurance about violence or frightening material from the information available; its tender relationships and humour alone do not establish that it is suitable for younger children. **How does The World of Apu compare to Pather Panchali?** *The World of Apu* earns our stronger recommendation for its central performances, while [*Pather Panchali*](https://film.one/film/pather-panchali) offers a broader interest in family life through its attention to childhood and different generations. We favour the former for the closeness between Chatterjee and Tagore; the earlier film better suits anyone wanting an ensemble family drama, provided its occasionally drifting pace is welcome. **Is The World of Apu based on a true story or a book?** *The World of Apu* is adapted by writer-director Satyajit Ray from a novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, rather than presented as a true story. We cannot assess its fidelity to the book from the information available, but its persuasive relationships give viewers a reason to watch without needing prior knowledge of the source. ### Reviews we read (2) - **Los Angeles Times**, Robert Abele (90/100, inferred): Abele praises the trilogy as an eloquent, compassionate achievement, and finds its final installment deeply moving. He singles out the performances of Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore, as well as the father-and-son final scene. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-apu-trilogy-review-20150529-story.html) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (82/100, inferred): The review calls the film an unusual, timeless story and says it surpasses its predecessors in craftsmanship. It particularly praises the truth of its relationships and its wit, tenderness, and human revelations. [Read](https://variety.com/1958/film/reviews/apur-sansar-1200419419/) ## Details - **Director:** Satyajit Ray - **Director:** Satyajit Ray - **Screenplay:** Satyajit Ray - **Novel:** Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay - **Cinematography:** Subrata Mitra - **Editor:** Dulal Dutta - **Music:** Ravi Shankar - **Production design:** Bansi Chandragupta - **Producer:** Satyajit Ray - **Cast:** Soumitra Chatterjee as Apurba 'Apu' Roy; Sharmila Tagore as Aparna Roy; Alok Chakravarty as Kajal Roy; Swapan Mukherjee as Pulu; Sefalika Devi as Shashinarayan's Wife; Dhiresh Majumdar as Shashinarayan; Dhiren Ghosh as Landlord; Belarani Devi as Apu's Neighbor - **Runtime:** 1h 45m - **First release (France):** 1 May 1959 - **Genres:** Drama - **Box office:** $134,241 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgv68E_o6VM ## Where to watch in Switzerland Not streaming, renting or buying in Switzerland at the last check. Also available in: AU, CA, GB, IE, NZ, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - International Submission to the Academy Awards 1960: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Pather Panchali* (1955), Fi1m 93: Ray’s earlier attention to childhood makes ordinary family life absorbing and painful. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/pather-panchali.md) - *The River* (1951): Family life, first love and disappointment, observed with patience rather than sentimentality. - *Still Walking* (2008): A family gathering where affection and resentment keep interrupting each other. - *A Summer at Grandpa's* (1984): Children watch closely while the adults struggle with problems they cannot explain. - *The Quiet Girl* (2022): Small acts of care carry the feeling in this restrained family drama. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-world-of-apu