Indigo: Selected Stories

by Satyajit Ray

Spine-tingling tales from the other side of midnight. Indigo is the mood in this new collection of stories about the supernatural, the peculiar and the inexplicable from Satyajit Ray, one of the best-loved writers of our times. There are tales here of dark horror, fantasy and adventure along with heart-warmingly funny stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. In 'Big Bill' Tulsi Babu picks up a newly-hatched chick from a forest and brings it home only to find it growing bigger and fiercer by the day; in 'Khagam' a man kills a sadhu's deadly pet snake and invites a curse which brings about horrifying changes in his body; and in the title story, a young executive resting in an old abandoned bungalow for a night, finds himself caught up in a chilling sequence of events which occurred more than a century ago. Also included here is 'The Magical Mystery', a brand new Feluda story discovered amongst Ray's papers after his death, and several tales featuring Uncle Tarini, the master storyteller who appears in translation for the first time. From Mr. Shasmal, who is visited one night by all the creatures he has ever killed, to Ashamanja Babu, who does not know what to do when his pet dog suddenly begins to laugh, the unforgettable characters in these stories surprise, shock and entertain us in equal measure. Indigo is a veritable treasure trove especially for those who like a taste of the unusual in a short story and an unexpected twist at the end. Translated from the Bengali by the author and Gopa Majumdar.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, India, Horror, Classics, Indian Literature

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 28, 2000

About the author

Satyajit Ray (Bengali: সত্যজিৎ রায়) was an Indian filmmaker and author of Bengali fiction and regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of world cinema. Ray was born in the city of Calcutta into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and watching Vittorio De Sica's Italian neorealist 1948 film, Bicycle Thieves.

Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, graphic designer and film critic. He authored several short stories and novels, primarily aimed at children and adolescents.

Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven international prizes, including Best Human Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival. This film, Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959) form The Apu Trilogy. Ray did the scripting, casting, scoring, and editing, and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Award in 1992. The Government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna in 1992.

Early Life and Background:
Ray's grandfather, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury was a writer, illustrator, philosopher, publisher, amateur astronomer and a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a religious and social movement in nineteenth century Bengal. Sukumar Ray, Upendrakishore's son and father of Satyajit, was a pioneering Bengali author and poet of nonsense rhyme and children's literature, an illustrator and a critic. Ray was born to Sukumar and Suprabha Ray in Calcutta.

Ray completed his B.A. (Hons.) in Economics at Presidency College of the University of Calcutta, though his interest was always in Fine Arts. In 1940, he went to study in Santiniketan where Ray came to appreciate Oriental Art. In 1949, Ray married Bijoya Das and the couple had a son, Sandip ray, who is now a famous film director.

Literary Works:
Ray created two of the most famous fictional characters ever in Bengali children's literature—Feluda, a sleuth in Holmesian tradition, and Professor Shonku, a genius scientist. Ray also wrote many short stories mostly centered on Macabre, Thriller and Paranormal which were published as collections of 12 stories. Ray wrote an autobiography about his childhood years, Jakhan Choto Chilam (1982). He also wrote essays on film, published as the collections: Our Films, Their Films (1976), Bishoy Chalachchitra (1976), and Ekei Bole Shooting (1979).

Awards, Honors and Recognitions:
Ray received many awards, including 32 National Film Awards by the Government of India. At the Moscow Film Festival in 1979, he was awarded for the contribution to cinema. At the Berlin Film Festival, he was one of only three to win the Silver Bear for Best Director more than once and holds the record for the most Golden Bear nominations, with seven. At the Venice Film Festival, he won a Golden Lion for Aparajito(1956), and awarded the Golden Lion Honorary Award in 1982. In 1992 he was posthumously awarded the Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement in Directing at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

Reviews

[Amirtha Shri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Satyajit Ray has eyes for odd jobs, exquisite sensations, and day-to-day problems. I loved the diversity of his tales and at the same time I felt they were the same in a few ways. Almost all of them are from the perspective of an intelligent, lonely man. They all (some subtly) end with a moral. There's also a profusion of super-natural elements in his tales. At the time all these stories were written, I am sure they were revolutionary!

[Shadab · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Anyone who's seen Satyajit Ray's filmography knows how strong his characterization is, and how deep his understanding of humans is. In this collection of short stories written by Ray between 1962 and 1982, he adds another dimension to those qualities by integrating the elements of supernatural and mystery to his repertoire.

Satyajit Ray the filmmaker effortlessly depicted the most complex storylines in his works, and the short stories in this book have the same simplicity while carrying an immense weight both thematically and in terms of novelty. The reader is bound to be left in awe of Ray's imaginativeness. The stories are set in post-partition India so they have a great deal of relatability for subcontinental readers, which makes the supernatural, eerie, and occasionally extra-terrestrial elements in the stories even more fascinating, especially because they are so maturely written.

There are a total of 21 stories in this book, and they seem to have been sequenced in the order of increasing thematic complexity, because the first few stories seem to be limited in scope compared to the ones that follow. This progression ensures that the book gets more interesting as you go on. There is a recurring theme of aloof single males as the protagonists in most stories so that aspect might feel a bit repetitive, and the endings to a handful of stories might prove to be misses, but none of them is devoid of imagination. Whether it's carnivorous gigantic plants, ghosts of the colonial past, unnerving encounters with other humans (and animals), or a child navigating through a sad episode with the help of an alien, each story stands out distinctly from the others.

[Bharath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book 2 months back. Now, I'm a well known procrastinator. And I really really did not want to rush into a review for this book. I wnated to put some time and effort into writing it. Combine both of these and it's taken me 2 months for this :)

Satyajit Ray needs no introduction. But for those unaware of his accomplishments, Akira Kurosawa once said about him :
"The quiet but deep observation, understanding and love of the human race, which are characteristic of all his films, have impressed me greatly. I feel that he is a giant of the movie industry. Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon."

So obviously, just like any other Indian movie lover I was also in awe of Ray the filmmaker. Yet I was ignorant of another brilliant side of him, that of a writer, publisher & illustrator.
It was a pleasant coincidence that a short time after I came to know of this fact I chanced upon "Indigo". I was killing time in a book shop before my movie started and I'm pretty sure this
was the lone copy there (I've studiously checked the same spot every now and then)!

I absolutely loved Indigo. Maybe it doesn't belong in the 5 stars category, but then for me it was so perfect. I was fascinated by the characters and Ray's description of a period 50-60 years
back. Add to this the solemn chill many of these stories provide and you will understand what I'm talking about. If I want a scary or creepy short story I'd like it as slow as possible. Let the horror creep into you slowly and not hit you like a sledgehammer. Take for example "Ratan Babu and that man" or "The two magicians" or "Ananth Babu's terror". Then there is the sad little story of Pikoo. More than 20 stories and each special in its own way. Chilly, amusing, sad etcetera.

I can see less than 300 ratings for this book here in GR. I really wish it goes up and Indigo and Ray get what they deserve.

[Hester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Ratan Babu and That Man which was a solid story about a singular but apparently happy man meeting his doppelganger. He finds joy and intrigue in the mundane and spends his holidays in nondescript places . Initially delighted with his new friend the story soon turns dark and we come to understand that the vanity of our own perceived exceptionalism, when under threat , is enough to drive and justify the most appalling actions

[Apratim Mukherjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satyajit Ray is remembered mostly and rightly so for his work in the field of cinema.(He won various accolades including an Academy Award).However, only a few people outside the Bengali speaking realm know that he was also a equally good writer. Not only he created the characters of Feluda and Professor Shonku, he wrote numerous short stories of various genres.This book is a collection of some of the best short stories written by Ray and masterfully translated by Gopa Majumdar.
The stories ,in general, are based on supernatural events but there are elements of horror, magic realism, fantasy, science-fiction and even comedy hidden in them. Each story is a 'joyful read'.
It is a must read and nothing short of five out of five justifies Ray's genius.

[Neha Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Satyajit Ray was like feeling the warmth of winter sun in the backyard of my home back in North...

Each story warms your heart softly and you feel you are reliving your childhood. It was as if someone holding your finger and in this case it is Satyajit Ray takes you through the scenes of your past when you were a child playing at the street corner with your friends, enjoying the comic books, making interesting discoveries, discussing trivial things as if they were wonders of the world.. It reminded me of my childhood days when I used to gorge on comic books one after the another reading all the fairy tales and children series especially fantasy and adventures..

Each story holds so much of my childhood like ‘Pikoo’s diary’ reminds me of my secret diary where I used to write of the happenings around me as a kid.. ‘Mr eccentric’ reminds me of how I was fascinated to collect all this strange but regular stuff from the roads & parks ... eating plants in ‘The Hungry Septomus’ reminds me of the chapter in my biology books and how the plants engulfed the flies who sat on them... ‘A Strange Night for Mr Shamsal’ reminded me of Ruskin Bond’s story where people had no faces and how someone had narrated this in the dead of night when all kids had gathered at someone’s house for a night out..

I wish I could have met Satyajit Ray in person, what a great and simple man at the same time. He can talk about adult emotions and complicated lives in the same simple manner as he talks about how children imagine and think. I must say he is a great addition to the list of Bengali literary figures.

The only regret that I have is I didn’t know Bengali so I could read this & other books of his and watch the movie sin original language.. But nothing can stop me from reading the English Translations and the dubbed movies. Satyajit Ray definitely adds into one of my favourite authors.. and that too in my favourite genre of ‘Short Stories’.

[Divya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Nice simple stories with a tinge of scare and a decent dose of ambiguous endings.

[Vikrant Nayak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A plant that makes you vegetarian, an alien that only meets you when you are sad and a dog that laughs like a human - welcome to the amazing world crafted by Satyajit Ray. In this compilation of short stories (originally in Bengali), we get to see Ray the Filmmaker, take on the mantle of a writer. With it, comes the magic of scene building and story-telling that he is known for. The only way I can describe his simple yet elegant use of language, is to draw a comparison with my lovely grandmother. Reading it, felt like it was being narrated by my grandmother. The description of scenes before the introduction of characters, the slow yet tense build-up and the satisfying (yet sometimes, horrifying) conclusions - I was transported right back to my childhood. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. Under the hood, there’s a lot of human psyche that lies in wait, to be unraveled by the reader.

There was some element of repetition, in that the leads were mostly introverted, smart pant-suit types. This made it so that you could see where they would stumble before it actually happened. I remember thinking to myself - ‘I’ve read this story before. In the same book.’ This is to no fault of the author as compilations often bring together the most popular stories and they happen to be in a similar setting.

Short stories, as a medium, have the advantage of bringing the conclusion fast. That’s also a double edged sword in that you don’t get a lot of time to establish huge arcs and character descriptions. The writing needs to quickly attach itself to the reader, like the limbs of a Septopus. This does not happen for all the stories. Some of the stories were less captivating and I found myself racing to the end of it. But when it did hit the mark, it was like magic.

[Manishita (kitaabaurchai) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're from a Bengali household like me then you grow up with Satyajit Ray. His movies, stories you watch them or read them from childhood. I first watched his movie when I was a kid, 'Sonar Kella' was my first movies of his, then I watched a lot. I read his stories, I mean Feluda is love but apart from that I really like reading his short stories. 'Potol Babu' is one of my favourite short story.
This book is a collection of his various short stories and I will suggest that if you're a fan of his, like me, please read his short stories collection as well as ‘ Feluda’ series.

[S.Ach · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you realize that the most venerated auteur of India is also a brilliant story writer, your respect for the genius just gets manifold. Like the Feluda series, for these spooky stories also, Ray's target audience are probably the young adults, but I can assure you, no matter what age you are, you would enjoy these stories as you would have enjoyed them when you were 10.
Hats off to Ray.
Specifically loved the stories - Khagam, Ashamanja Babu's dog, Ratan Babu and that man, The two magicians, Patlol Babu filmstar, Fritz, Big Bill, Anant Babu's terror, Bhuto, etc.

[Karan Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indeed a great book with stories written in a beautiful manner. Just reading one or two stories in a day will divert your mind and take you to the magical world of fictions and connect with you in a way you can't imagine.

[Aaneela_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of short stories by Ray. Some are unique, a bit eccentric and full of thrills!

[Manju · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting bunch of stories, great for kids and grownups alike!

[Barsha Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

To read about men is like reading about race horses!

[Shoma]

When I was about 10, a friend lent me an anthology of Satyajit Ray's stories after her praise for his chilling ghost stories got me interested. I remember reading about an ill-fated attempt at a parapsychological experiment in a rural haunted house and a strange little story about a man who hung himself upside down from a tree like a bat. When I found this book, I bought it in hopes of re-reading some of those tales. The last one is not here, but the first, Anath Babu's Terror is, and is still delightfully frightening after all these years.

The horror stories, whether the horror is human or supernatural, are the highlight of this volume. There is the restless ghost of an English indigo planter in the title story, a ventriloquist's dummy which slowly becomes more and more like his estranged mentor in Bhuto (incidentally, the story that my friend told me about first), and in Fritz a grown man discovers his childhood plaything is more sinister than he imagined. Other stories are less typical in their horror: in Ratan Babu and That Man, the protagonist's initial delight at finding his doppelganger takes a dark turn and Mr. Eccentric details the story of a man in a sleepy hill town with a macabre hobby.

Also included are a few fantasy stories, a few others for children, a humorous Roald Dahl-esque tale called Bipin Chowdhury's Lapse of Memory as well as a couple of slice-of-life dramas. Of these Patol Babu, Film Star is a gentle look at a failed actor and his continued devotion to his craft. Ray's own career as a film maker makes this an insightful story and it is one of my favourites in the collection. Pikoo's Diary is an unsettling account of the breakdown of a child's family, written by the child himself.

The 21 stories are by themselves enchanting but the various genres - horror, humour, fantasy, drama - sit awkwardly together. It is jarring to finish reading about a murder and plunge into a humorous alien encounter. I would have preferred if the editor had decided whom the stories were meant for. It is true that Ray writes as well for children as for adults and his stories are often meant for both, but the book could have done with a more focused selection.

[Page99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indigo’s a collection of short stories – really weird short stories. When I think of fiction stories with a twist, Jeffery Archer always comes to mind. I’m a huge fan of his short works – Cat O’ Nine Tales, Quiver Full of Arrows and so on and so forth. All the stories are surreal, and have this strange unprecedented twist in the end. ALWAYS.

Indigo is a little like that. I’m not comparing Jeff Archer and Satyajit Ray – not at all. But I’ll be honest, I’ve never read Satyajit Ray before and I never saw this coming! His stories are full of Bengali characters and places in Bengal but his imagination has included encounters with carnivorous plants from Central America and aliens from, well, outer space. He also crosses all boundaries of time – talking about history, and then ghosts appear! He talks about people, their doppelgangers… magicians, and lord knows a million other weird things…

Basically, throughout most of the book, you can’t tell the difference between reality and imagination, and I personally had a time understanding whether he was just entertaining people with the implausible or seriously believed in what he was writing.

It’s all a quick, light read. Keeps you entertained, and really gives you a sharp nudge at the end. It’s a tease basically. After the second story or so, it’s like a challenge – can you tell what’s going to happen towards the end? I didn’t manage to guess even one – bit of a shame for me really, but a compliment to the book’s quirkiness nonetheless. I would think “oh this has got to be a dream” and it would be real; I would think “oh this is suicide for sure” and it would have nothing to do with death. Obviously, I should scratch off ‘fiction writer’ on my ‘things to try and do in life’ list.

It’s a pretty inexpensive book, small enough to carry around. Good to keep your mind off things, read on the metro, bus, etc. Don’t think too much about getting it or while reading it! Just grab a copy. It’s totally worth it.

http://page99.in/blog/2012/03/12/saty...

[Srividya Vijapure · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories from the master story teller Satyajit Ray, a true legend unto himself. And he does not disappoint with this collection at all.

These are stories that are super natural, bizarre, quirky and even some truly inexplicable in nature but definitely make a great read. It describes Calcutta (and I use this name deliberately) in those days and the various quirks of its people in such a wonderful manner that you are actually transported to that land and experiencing everything with the narrator of each story. While some of the stories are truly wonderful, some according to me were too bizarre and therefore I just could not get myself to give it a 4 star rating.

I do wish however, that I could read Bengali as I am sure some of the nuances would have been lost in translation. However, I have to admit that the translation was pretty good.

However, if you are in a mood for some short stories, especially on a rainy day.. try this book, you will be enthralled.

[Dhiraj Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is how I like my short stories to be, really short, crisp and with a surprise ending. Each of the stories is a real treat with subjects ranging from ghosts, supernatural elements and with some bizarre characters thrown in.

Ray is master of this genre. I am sure it was his talent to look beyond the mundane that must have got reflected in his writings and movies too.

Abstract stories are not really my cup of tea. I have read short stories of many authors running into several pages and after having read them I have failed miserably to grasp what the hell it was about. I mean where was the end and where was the beginning and what was the story all about (if at all there was a story). Maybe the English literature types love such authors.

As for me, give me a Manik da’s book any day, preferably with a cup of steaming hot coffee. I would love to live in his character’s world, shiver through their trepidations and maybe skip a heartbeat or two just like them.

[Sheetal Maurya - Godse (Halo of Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read full book review on my blog Indigo: Selected Stories by Satyajit Ray – Book review

I must admit that I have fallen in love with the Satyajit Ray’s stories and looking forward reading more work of him. The one thing which I really loved in this book is the characterization, they are simple yet impressive. Some stories will leave you spellbound, some will make you laugh. These stories will also leave the enchanting impression of old Calcutta. This book can be read and enjoyed by a toddler, a youth or even an old, such is the work of Mr. Ray. Do pick this book, irrespective of your reading taste and age. I am sure you will enjoy this book!

[Harini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. A refreshing change from some of the layered stuff I find myself stuck with. But, intriguingly , with each passing story, I noticed the absolute absence of Women characters, in this collection. All the characters; central, peripheral, tertiary, were all men.
I have never encountered this. I wonder why...

[Manoj Unnikrishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful collection! After reading One Dozen Stories , I became a die-hard fan of Satyajit Ray. Now, I have completed another story collection, Indigo—Selected Stories. Some of the stories from One Dozen Stories appear in this book, too. As usual, Ray mixes dark horror, fantasy, myth, humor, and science fiction in this collection. Ray never fails us. He is the best!

There are twenty-one amazing stories in this book. I have listed them below:

1. The Hungry Septopus: A funny story about a carnivorous plant with a monstrous appetite for meat and its owner, Kanti Babu.

2. Ratan Babu and that Man: On his vacation at Shini, Ratan Babu meets Manilal Babu, who looks the same as himself, and the story follows the incidents after that.

3. Bonku Babu's Friend: The meek and mild Bonku Babu meets an Alien named Ang from another planet, Craneus, who considers his people superior to those on Earth.

4. The Two Magicians: On a train journey to his next big show in Lucknow, the famous magician Surapati meets his old magic guru, Tripuracharan Malik. His understanding of the old tricks taught by his former guru is superior to the artificial performances, which frame the rest of the story.

5. Ashamanja Babu's Dog: A hilarious story about Brownie, the pet dog of Ashamanja Babu. What makes the tale peculiar is Brownie can laugh like humans in certain funny situations.

6. Patol Babu, Film Star: Patol Babu, once an excellent actor in stage dramas and jatras, gets a chance to act in a film. The story 'Patol Babu, Film Star' tells us how Patol Babu achieves his ambition to act in that one scene.

7. Indigo: A spooky story narrates the terrible experience on a night of Anirudha Bose while he was spending a night at a particular house while traveling to Dumka.

8. Bipin Chowdhury's Lapse of Memory: Bipin Chowdhury completely forgets a part of his life, specifically his visit to Ranchi. For some days, his otherwise orderly life enters an entirely chaotic phase.

9. Fritz: Jayanto experiences a terrible experience when he revisits Bundi, where he spent his childhood. A lifelike doll named Fritz, a twelve-inch-long figure of an older man dressed in the traditional Swiss style, which Jayanto used to play with, comes to life!

10. Barin Bhowmick's Ailment: Barin Bhowmick, a kleptomaniac, takes a train journey to Delhi along with a man whose traveling clock was stolen by him nine years ago on a similar train journey.

11. The Maths Teacher, Mr Pink and Tipu: This is another story about an alien whom Tipu calls Mr. Pink. Tipu gets help from Mr. Pink to get rid of his Maths Teacher, Narahari Babu.

12. Big Bill: Tulsi Babu gets a peculiar pet, a mysterious bird with an enormous beak from a mountain. The story is about how he handles the situation when he realizes that his pet, Bill, is not the normal one he wants.

13. Khagam: Dhurjati Babu turns into a snake when he gets cursed by the snake's master, Imli Baba. The incident happens when Dhujati Babu intentionally kills the snake. It is an excellent example of the supernatural element.

14. Ananth Babu's Terror: Sitesh, who narrates the story, meets a peculiarly dressed Ananth Babu on a train journey to Raghunathpur. Ananth Babu comes to Raghunathpur for a particular reason: to spend a night in the famous two-hundred-year-old Haldar Mansion.

15. The Small World of Sadananda: A remarkable story of an eleven-year-old Sadananda who can communicate with ants and stands for their protection.

16. The Pterodactyl's Egg: A depressed Badan Badu goes to the riverside to find some calm. He has to make a good bedtime story for his seven-year-old invalid son, Biltu. He is then disturbed by a strange man who shows Badan Babu an instrument that claims to be a time machine.

17. Shibu and the Monster: Under the influence of his friend Phatik, Shibu believes that his Maths teacher, Janardan Babu, is a monster. Whatever facts Phatik feeds him about monsters, Shibu finds them all real in the case of Janardan Babu.

18. Mr Eccentric: This is the story of an interesting person, Mr. Eccentric, who collects odd, unwanted knick-knacks. The reason behind this bizarre behavior is that he can see the incidents in the past involving those things when he touches them.

19. A Strange Night for Mr Shasmal: Shasmal spends an eerie night at a forest bungalow with all the animals he had killed in the past.

20. Bhuto: A suspenseful story about a ventriloquist, Naveen Munshi, his puppet Bhutnath, aka Bhuto, and his hostility with his opponent, ventriloquist Akrur Babu.

21. Pikoo's Diary: A small boy named Pikoo starts writing a journal just like his grandfather in his childish language. 

Ray himself translated some of the stories from Bengali, and Gopa Majumdar translated the rest.

[Scottshak Scottshak · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an extraordinary book! Hands down, one of my most prized possessions to date. What the book primarily does is let you delve into the beautiful and surreal mind of the most legendary writer of his age, Satyajit Ray—a genius whose prowess is praised even today by great directors across the globe. He carried an ensemble of portfolios under his arm, ranging from directing and screenwriting to illustrating, essaying and composing.

Indigo: Selected Stories by Satyajit Ray is a collection of extraordinary short stories that reaffirm his virtuosity as an author. It’s hard not to fall in love with the way Ray thought. Most of the tales have been translated directly from Bengali into simple, easy-to-understand English.

The ideal way to read this book is not to rush through it in a single day, but rather to take your time, as the real joy comes from allowing the excitement and thrill to seep in gradually. Such is the power of Ray’s storytelling that each story captivates you, compelling you to ponder. I couldn’t help but share some of the stories with my mom, who immediately loved them and was eager to hear more.

Out of all the stories in the collection, ‘Khagam’ remains my favorite. I particularly loved how beautifully myth is served with a perfect balance of horror and reality. Then there was the doppelgänger story titled ‘Ratan Babu and that Man’—a story that has left a lasting impression. Absolutely thrilling with a fitting climax with the right amount of horror, capturing a piece of your mind as you find yourself ensnared in its little world right up to the end.

Satyajit Ray’s collection of short stories is a perfect blend of invigorating tales that reflect his out-of-the-box thinking. Some stories are simply enjoyable to read for their sheer fun. Almost every story in the anthology boasts an intriguing climax that keeps you biting your nails in anticipation with the majority leaning towards the supernatural, and others delving into the fascinating world of science and fiction. One cannot help but admire the author’s boundless imagination as he takes you on a wild ride through worlds you never knew existed.

The vivid imagery and the stories’ Indian roots make the narrative so palpable that you easily relate to the author’s brain and are transported through time. Every build-up is beautifully interwoven and as you crawl through the pages you almost secretly know that you are in for a surprise. The real satisfaction comes from the fact that Ray never disappoints. Every story is meticulously crafted and compiled in this anthology making it an exemplary compilation for book aficionados. I wish to read more of his works and consider myself fortunate to have discovered this remarkable book.

Highly recommended if you are a Ray fan! Recommended, even if you are not.

[Amrendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in 2000, this is a collection of 23 short stories of Satyajit Ray. Magic and mystery, both were subjects close to Ray's heart and he had a special penchant for things supernatural. This is well reflected in this collection which has some magnificently simple tales told in the limpid and languid style that was Ray's hallmark.

Among this book's stories is also a few tales involving Uncle Tarini, another of Feluda's interesting characters besides the otherwise more popular Feluda and Prof. Shonku. What more, the last tale is a Feluda story - The Magical Mystery, the only Feluda story to be published posthumously for Ray.

What is unique with Ray's stories is that he manages to effortlessly transport you to your childhood days of unadulterated fun and the way he narrates his stories arouse the sense of charm and wonder that is characteristic of our childhood days. Add to that, a dash of mystery and supernatural and it becomes an irresistible book where each story is unique, touching and mafical in its own way.

[Shourya Agarwal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ray explores the post-colonial setting from a rich cinematic eye that focuses on the intimate story instead of the grand epic. Through his polymathic wisdom, he provides an extremely tasteful understanding of the context. By suffusing the most ordinary incidents with the touch of the surreal, the work constantly challenges the imagination. While the stories are extremely well-written, the anthology at large suffers from bouts of insipid repetition. By drawing characters from similar age groups and societal settings nuanced by their internal struggle with their irrelevant convictions in the face of modernity, Ray diminishes versatility. As a result, we have caricatures with very similar essence and motivation making it extremely monotonous.
Interestingly, the entirety of the 21 stories is bereft of female characters, a choice that makes the reader wonder whether the stories capture the complete picture of society. Despite the monotony, the works remain absolutely magical, exposing the forward-thinking of an exceptional mind.

[Herbert West · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is without a doubt an amazing journey. I will review the title story. This story was my introduction to horror genre. This story introduces you to dread and fear of unknown. Ray used a dream(or was it really a dream?) as an excellent way to narrate a tragedy which happened years ago. This story shows no matter your status in society, , you are still a human after all. Now obviously i won't go through much of the details for this one as it's a short story. The point for this story is its pace, things start to go downhill or rather weird very quickly. You don't feel like a third wheel instead you are experiencing the same situation as the narrator himself. He is not in the control of the story, it is being unfolded in front of him for the very first time and that is the horror because you start imagining yourselves in the same situation. Every move, every step scares you.

[Nivritti · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his films, Satyajit Ray has looked down on the integration of religion and society in Indian communities. He frowned upon religious dogmatism and it wouldn’t be far off to say he hated the film industry that used religion to market its movies to the common man.
In his book, however, Ray speaks of myths and religion with a sort of… nostalgia and tenderness. He masterfully portrays with simplicity and an earned respect, his characters and their relationship (Oft positive) with their religion.
Ghosts and gods meet sins and goodness in this collection of delightful short stories.
Despite having further about his brilliance to be proved, Satyajit Ray showed the world his prowess in all aspects of creative fiction- film and literature.
I loved it.

[Khushi Yadav · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Finished this today!

It's a collection of supposed "horror" stories but breaks the conventional jumpscar-ish ideas of the genre. The themes range from children's stories to murders, plant horror to magic. At times one might not feel the exact "horror" in the stories but the air of dread, eeriness, and impending danger just keeps you on your toes.


Interestingly I came across a few stories that have been adapted into short films on Netflix as well and it was amazing to read the original stories that gave birth to them.


Another thing that was a treat to read in the few stories was how the air of dread and scariness builds up to nothing but a mere frivolous act.

Loved this!
Alsooooo, this is my 60th read of the year (my goal was 30) so yayyy to me <3

[Read A Day Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satyajit Ray’s Indigo is about finding the mystery in simplicity itself. The book contains a few of his short stories, a digest of picturesque portraits against lyrical, quiet, and calming landscapes. The kind of digest you’d rather keep unfinished only so that you never run out of stories to read.

It’s difficult to escape the genius of Satyajit Ray, both on paper and on the screen, as you contemplate the intimacy and elegance of his characters. And it’s quite rare to find in a collection of short stories the capacity of imagination that Satyajit Ray’s black-and-white films evoke, being deeply sentimental and poetically pure.

As a reader, the relationship you’ll share with every one of these stories will be unique. Each story holds a soul of its own. There is no doubt also that these stories include elements of cinema. And after re-watching the inner solitudes of Charulata and Pather Panchali, even his films retain some memorable elements of literature. They coalesce in the most lucid and natural way, bridging drama, intelligence, and realism into a melody of their own.

If one is to recognize the beauty of Satyajit Ray, begin with the story the book is named after, ‘Indigo’. Then move on to his most resonating and deeply reflective tales – ‘Piko’s Diary’, ‘Ratan Babu and that Man’, ‘Ashamanja Babu’s Dog’, ‘Patol Babu, Film Star’, ‘Barin Bhowmick’s Ailment’, and ‘The Small World of Sadananda’.

Even though almost all of the stories are cut from a similar cloth of loneliness, melancholy, and supernatural beings, they are beautiful anomalies. Combining myth, humor, fantasy, dark horror, and science fiction into this complex and imaginative web of heartwarming stories, all of which are best savored with a cup of chai!

[Sagarika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique blend of supernatural short stories, infused with Bengali culture and history. What made the stories so different from everything I read was how to down to earth, realistic and relatable the characters and situations were. When you pull a story from your surroundings, they turn out to be as delightful as Ray's writings.

5/5 for Indigo : Selected Stories by Satyajit Ray. Would definitely recommend any of his works. No wonder he is considered one of the greatest writers/filmmakers of Indian history.

[Alok Ghimire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories (mainly the ones written after 1970) are quite nice. Some are cheap thrillers and one wonders how Ray could have written them. What struck me most was that there isnt a single love story-which was a delightful change. The stories do suffer from a lack of details but the scope of the work undertaken isn't so ambitious as to let that undermine the value of the stories considerably. Its an entertaining read except for some few horribly written ones.