The Apu Trilogy comprises three Bengali films directed by Satyajit Ray: Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) (1959). They are based on two Bengali novels written by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay: Pather Panchali (1929) and Aparajito (1932). The original music for the films was composed by Ravi Shankar.
Pather Panchali (Bengali, “Song of the Little Road”)
Apu’s early experiences in rural Bengal as the son of a poor but high caste family are presented. Apu’s father Harihar, a Brahmin, has difficulty in supporting his family. After the death of Apu’s sister, Durga, the family moves to the holy city of Benares.
Aparajito (Bengali, “The Unvanquished”)
The family’s finances are still precarious. After his father dies there, Apu and his mother Sarbajaya come back to a village in Bengal. Despite unrelenting poverty, Apu manages to get formal schooling and turns out to be a brilliant student. The growing Apu comes into conflict with his mother. Later, when his mother dies too, he has to learn to live alone.
Apur Sansar (Bengali, “The World of Apu”)
Attempting to become a writer, Apu accidentally finds himself pressured to marry a girl whose mother rejected her mentally ill bridegroom on the day of their wedding. Their blossoming marriage ends in her death in childbirth, after which the despairing Apu abandons his child, but eventually returns to accept his responsibilities.
The trilogy is a milestone in Indian cinema and remains one of the most acclaimed works in the Parallel Cinema movement. The three films went on to win many national and international awards, including three National Film Awards and seven awards from the Cannes, Berlin and Venice Film Festivals. They are today frequently listed among the greatest films of all time and are often cited as the greatest movies in the history of Indian cinema.
More details can be accessed at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apu_Trilogy