Sharmila Tagore, who plays Aparna, the wife of Apu (played by Soumitra Chatterjee), and who was only 14-years-old when she appeared in the film, later recalled filming the scene in which Apu brings his new bride back to his untidy apartment in the city. The director, Satyajit Ray, gave Tagore no direction, other than that she was to enter the room and look around, and she did not view the apartment set before they shot the scene. So when Chatterjee opened the door and they both walked in, Aparna's reaction to Apu's living quarters was actually Tagore's own spontaneous reaction. Later, she realized that Ray deliberately did not prepare her, in order to obtain exactly that spontaneous response from her.
One of the problems facing Satyajit Ray was that showing scenes of intimacy between a young married couple - such as kissing and hugging - were strictly forbidden at the time.
Matt Groening stated several times that Satyajit Rays Apu-trilogy were his favorite movies.
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