Christopher Nolan praises Satyajit Ray, says The Apu Trilogy’s Pather Panchali ‘blew his mind’. Watch
Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey continues to make waves at the box office. Amid the film’s widespread acclaim, Nolan recently visited the iconic Criterion Closet—the famous storage room at the Criterion Collection in New York that houses more than 1,000 of the world’s greatest films. During his visit, the acclaimed director picked legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray‘s The Apu Trilogy and hailed him as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.
Christopher Nolan praises Satyajit Ray
In a video shared by the Criterion Collection, Nolan browsed through the shelves, handpicking some of his favourite films while discussing the influence they have had on him as a filmmaker. Among his selections, the one that particularly caught the attention of Indian audiences was Satyajit Ray’s The Apu Trilogy.
Praising the legendary filmmaker, Nolan said, “And then there’s The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, one of the great Indian filmmakers. The trilogy starts with Pather Panchali, which is an absolutely incredible film. It just blew my mind. I haven’t yet seen parts two and three of the trilogy, so I’m pretty excited to get this and complete the story.”
The internet was delighted to see Nolan appreciating Satyajit Ray’s work. One fan commented, “One GOAT appreciating another GOAT.” Another wrote, “It’s like God praising another God.” A third said, “A master knows a true master.” Another user commented, “Nolan has good taste.” One fan also noted, “It’s surprising he has only seen Pather Panchali and not the other two.”
About The Apu Trilogy
Based on the novels by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, The Apu Trilogy comprises Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956), and Apur Sansar (1959). The landmark film series follows the life of Apu, from his childhood in a poor rural village to adulthood, exploring themes of family, love, loss and ambition. Widely regarded as a cornerstone of both Indian and world cinema, the trilogy won three National Film Awards and received multiple honours at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals.
About Christopher Nolan’s recent release
Nolan’s latest release, The Odyssey, recorded the biggest opening weekend ($264 million) of his career. In India, the film has grossed over ₹100 crore in its first week, emerging as the highest-grossing Hollywood film of the year at the Indian box office. Worldwide, it has crossed $350 million. Based on Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey follows the Greek king Odysseus (Matt Damon) on a perilous 10-year journey home after the Trojan War. Battling vengeful gods, sea monsters and enchantresses along the way, he struggles to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and their son, Telemachus (Tom Holland).
