Christopher Nolan's big shoutout to Satyajit Ray: Pather Panchali blew my mind

Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan has praised legendary Indian director Satyajit Ray, saying Pather Panchali (1955), the first film in The Apu Trilogy, just blew his mind. The 55-year-old made the remark during a recent visit to the Criterion Closet in New York, where he picked Ray's celebrated trilogy as one of the films he wanted to take home.In a video shared by the Criterion Collection on X, Nolan called Ray "one of the greatest Indian filmmakers" and said he was excited to watch the remaining two parts of the trilogy.The Criterion Closet is a well-known space at the Criterion Collection that houses more than 1,000 classic films from around the world. Filmmakers, actors and artists often visit the room to browse through the collection and speak about the films that have shaped them.As Nolan looked through the shelves, he stopped at The Apu Trilogy and said, "And then there's the Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, one of the greatest 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." About The Apu TrilogyReleased in 1955, Pather Panchali is the first film in The Apu Trilogy. Based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's novel, the Bengali-language film follows young Apu and his family as they struggle with poverty in rural Bengal. The film is known for its simple storytelling, emotional depth and realistic portrayal of everyday life. It went on to earn international recognition and is still considered one of the greatest films ever made.The trilogy continues with Aparajito, released in 1956, and Apur Sansar, released in 1959, following Apu through different stages of his life, from childhood to adulthood.Nolan's connection with India Nolan has shared a special connection with India over the years. He recently visited the country with producer Emma Thomas and actors Matt Damon and Tom Holland during the international promotional tour of his film The Odyssey. The visit marked his third official trip to India.At a press conference in Mumbai, Nolan said the India stop was not a last-minute addition and had been years in the making. Recalling an earlier trip to the city, he said he had travelled there at the invitation of his friend Shivendra for a conference on the future of cinema, and that the visit left a lasting impression on him. "I met a lot of filmmakers and really got to know a little bit about the film culture here," Nolan said.He also praised audiences in India and their relationship with cinema. "I've never been anywhere in the world with an appreciation of what movies can be and what they should be for audiences. To me, it seemed crazy that we wouldn't be bringing our films here to Mumbai for Mumbai audiences," the director said, adding that it was "an absolute thrill" to finally do so.Nolan also said he had planned a promotional visit to Mumbai during the release of Tenet, which was partially shot in the city, but those plans were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Before his latest visit, he spent around 10 days in India in 2019 while filming key scenes for Tenet, starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. His first official visit came in 2011, when he filmed portions of The Dark Knight Rises at Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur.The Odyssey, based on Homer's epic poem, was released in theatres worldwide on July 17, 2026.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka SharmaPublished On: Jul 26, 2026 12:49 IST