The films
Pather Panchali, from 1955, follows young Apu and his sister Durga in a Bengal village; Aparajito, from 1956, follows Apu to Benares and Calcutta; and The World of Apu, from 1959, follows the young man as a writer, husband and father.
How to watch them
Watch the three films in order over three evenings, with a pause between each to talk about them.