Bhandarkar to present film which will carry forward ‘The Apu Trilogy’

Mumbai, Jan 18 (IANS) Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar will present a feature film titled "Avijatrik", which will take forward Satyajit Ray's iconic "The Apu Trilogy".

Apu, the legendary enduring and endearing character, will return to the silver screen after 60 years in the Bengali period drama feature "Avijatrik", to be directed by Subhrajit Mitra.

Happy to come on board to present the film, Bhandarkar said in a statement: "As a director and a film buff, I have been a great admirer and fan of Satyajit Ray and the journey of Apu always fascinated me. I have known Gaurang Jalan who is co-presenting the film with me, for over a decade now, and hope this will be a visual treat to all film lovers globally, including the Bengali diaspora."

The storyline is based on the concluding part of the epic novel "Aparajito", written by Bengali litterateur, late Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay.

"Avijatrik" - "The Wanderlust of Apu" (in English) will be shot in several parts of India, and in black and white to retain the rich aesthetic flavour that complements its backdrop of 1940s' India. The plot takes off from where "The Apu Trilogy" had ended in 1959, with "Apur Sansar".

The new film focuses on the wanderlust of the main protagonist and the story of a sublime bond between a father and a son. The story is of Apu and his 6-year-old son Kajol.

"With an able team of cast and crew we hope to portray the beautiful tapestry of pure interpersonal relationships; and recreate the magic of Apu with his son, Kajol to enthral the audiences all over again," Jalan said.