Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his loved ones, leaves his rural Bengal village. His wife, Sarbojaya, manages Durga her daughter, along with her son, Apu, in addition to the elderly aunt Indir of Harihar. While their parents still suffer the daily indignities heaped upon them, the kids enjoy the little joys of the lifetime that is difficult.