Subir Banerjee, a remarkably gifted and accomplished young individual, embarked upon a most extraordinary and noteworthy journey during his formative years, when at the tender age of 8, he assumed the iconic role of Apu in the esteemed and timelessly revered cinematic masterpiece, "Pather Panchali", directed by the illustrious and celebrated filmmaker, Satyajit Ray.
As the years went by, it wasn't until 1980 that India Today decided to pay tribute to the remarkable life of Satyajit Ray's protégé, Apur Pukhuro Banerjee, by publishing an article on the 25th anniversary of the iconic film, Pather Panchali, on March 31st. This thought-provoking piece, titled "Pather Panchali: An Odyssey Revisited", offered a captivating glimpse into Banerjee's life after his cinematic debut, which had left an indelible mark on the world of Indian cinema.
At the time, Banerjee was 33 years old, and had spent his adult years laboring as a millhand at an engineering factory in the suburbs, away from the glamour of the film industry. Despite the mundane nature of his work, Banerjee's experiences and struggles had undoubtedly shaped his perspective and worldview, making him a unique and fascinating individual.
As the calendar flipped to 2006, a prominent publication, India Today, revisited the life of Banerjee in a July 3rd article, bringing his story full circle. By then, a considerable five-year period had elapsed since his official retirement from his role as a provident fund officer at an esteemed engineering firm. What's more, his wife, Madhuri, had only stumbled upon her husband's connection to the film industry during their relocation to the outskirts of Kolkata, an event that occurred either during or after his retirement, or perhaps even earlier in their marriage.
