Although Ray's work generally received critical acclaim, his film Pather Panchali and Ashani Sanket (1973) were criticised for "exporting poverty" and "distorting India's image abroad".
Meskipun karya Ray umumnya meraih sambutan hangat, film buatannya Pather Panchali dan Ashani Sanket (1973) dikritik karena "menampilkan kemiskinan" dan "menyakiti hati India di luar negeri".