Aparajito is the sequel to Pather Panchali, Bibhutibushan Bandopadhyay's best known novel. In Pather Panchali the story revolves around Harihar Roy, his wife Sabajya, daughter Durga and son Apu whose vision of the future remains positive. Aparajito carries forward this vision through Apu's adolescence and youth. The story takes the reader through Apu's school days at the village. His thirst for knowledge and an insatiable desire to see the world drive him to the city and he joins college for higher education. For the first time in his life he has to battle not just poverty but also the complexities of human relationships and other harsh realities of life, without support or assistance from anywhere. After his mother's death, a tragic marriage and years of carefree living, Apu finally realises his responsibilities and returns to his roots accompanied by his like-minded son, Kajal.

Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay : (12 September 1894 – 1 November 1950) was an Indian Bengali author, and one of the leading writers of modern Bengali literature. His best known work is the autobiographical novel, Pather Panchali (The Song of the Road). He was posthumously awarded the Rabindra Puraskar in 1951, the most prestigious literary award in West Bengal, for his novel Ichhamati.