Concept:
‘Pather Panchali' is one of the most celebrated works in Bengali literature and Indian cultural history. The novel gained worldwide recognition because of its emotional depth, realistic storytelling, and portrayal of rural Bengali life.
The literary work later became even more famous after its film adaptation by Satyajit Ray.
Step 1: Understanding the meaning of ‘Pather Panchali'.
The title ‘Pather Panchali' means:
\[
\text{``Song of the Road''}
\]
The novel beautifully presents:
• Rural village life,
• Poverty and struggle,
• Human emotions,
• Childhood experiences,
• Family relationships.
The work is admired for its realistic and emotional narrative style.
Step 2: Identifying the author of the novel.
The novel ‘Pather Panchali' was written by:
\[
\text{Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay}
\]
He was one of the greatest Bengali novelists and was known for:
• Realistic rural storytelling,
• Deep emotional characterization,
• Literary simplicity combined with depth,
• Rich depiction of nature and human life.
His writings became extremely influential in Indian literature.
Step 3: Understanding the confusion among the options.
• Bibhuti Bhusan Bandhopadhyay is the actual writer of the novel.
• Satyajit Ray directed the famous film adaptation of ‘Pather Panchali', but he did not write the original novel.
• Ritvik Ghatak was a famous filmmaker, not the author of this book.
• Rabindranath Tagore was a Nobel Prize-winning poet and writer, but he was not the author of ‘Pather Panchali'.
Thus, the correct answer is:
\[
\boxed{\text{Bibhuti Bhusan Bandhopadhyay}}
\]