PATHER PANCHALI, 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 WAS THE FIRST PUBLISHED NOVEL WRITTEN BY THE AUTHOR.IT WAS FOLLOWED IN 1932 BY A SEQUEL APARAJITO, WHICH WAS LATER ALSO ADAPTED INTO A FILM OF THE SAME NAME BY SATYAJIT RAY.
बिभूतिभूषण बॅनर्जी यांची अभिजात कांदबरी. जवळपास शतकापूर्वीच्या बंगाली ग्रामीण जीवनाचं अनोखं चित्रण वाचकाला वेगळ्या विश्वात नेतं. दारिद्र्यग्रस्त जीवनात एका उमलत्या वयातल्या मुलाचा होत जाणारा मानसिक विकास आणि त्याचे मोहून टाकणारे चित्रण या कादंबरीची सशक्त बाजू आहे. तिचं सिनेमाच्या रूपातील माध्यमांतरही अभिजात कलाकृती म्हणून नावाजलं गेलं आहे.