Varanasi, former Benares, 1920s northern India. Having lost everything after
Pather Panchali (1955), devastated Harihar and broken Sarbojaya leave forever behind their memory-laden home in the bamboo forest to move to the bustling holy city with their son, Apu. But there, at the steep ghats on the banks of the sacred Ganges River, a challenging, hand-to-mouth existence awaits the Ray family. And once again, unfulfilled dreams burden sad-eyed Sarbojaya with more worries. As the family buries the past in the remote Bengal village of Mansapota, Apu nurtures aspirations beyond life as the community's priest. As a result, Apu catches the train to Kolkata after winning a scholarship to study at a prestigious university. But goodbyes are never easy. Can Apu prove his worth and spread his wings in the big city of dreams?
—Nick Riganas