 He used actors of diverse backgrounds , from famous film stars to people who had never seen a film ( as in Aparajito ) . Robin Wood and others have lauded him as the best director of children , pointing out memorable performances in the roles of Apu and Durga ( Pather Panchali ) , Ratan ( Postmaster ) and Mukul ( Sonar Kella ) . Depending on the talent or experience of the actor , Ray varied the intensity of his direction , from virtually nothing with actors such as Utpal Dutt , to using the actor as a puppet ( Subir Banerjee as young Apu or Sharmila Tagore as Aparna ) . Actors who had worked for Ray praised his customary trust but said he could also treat incompetence with total contempt . 
