Indigo by Satyajit Ray – Summary & Analysis

Plot Summary

"Indigo" is a supernatural short story written by Satyajit Ray. It tells the haunting tale of a young man who experiences a strange connection with India's colonial past.​

The Narrator and His Background

The story begins with Aniruddha Bose, a twenty-nine-year-old bachelor working in an advertising agency in Calcutta. He lives a comfortable life in a two-room flat and owns an Ambassador car. Aniruddha writes stories in his spare time, and three of his stories have been published in magazines. However, for the past few months, he has stopped writing. Instead, he has been reading about indigo plantations in Bengal and Bihar during the nineteenth century. He has become an expert on the subject—knowing how the British exploited poor farmers, how farmers revolted, and how the invention of synthetic indigo in Germany ended indigo cultivation in India.​

Aniruddha explains that he will now share a terrible experience that sparked his deep interest in indigo. His father was a well-known doctor in Monghyr, Bihar, where Aniruddha was born and studied in a missionary school. His elder brother studied medicine in England and works in a London hospital with no plans to return to India. When Aniruddha was sixteen, his father died, and he moved to Calcutta with his mother.​

The Journey to Dumka

One day, Aniruddha receives a letter from his old school friend Promode, who invites him to visit Dumka, where Promode works in the Forest Department. Aniruddha takes leave and sets off on April 27 to drive the 200 miles to Dumka. His departure is delayed by a visit from an old family friend, Uncle Mohit. Before leaving, his neighbour Bhola Babu warns him about the long journey and suggests he should have a driver.​

Aniruddha drives through the countryside, enjoying the clear blue sky and fresh air. Near Panagarh, he gets a flat tire. He changes it with his spare and continues, but dark clouds gather in the sky. A terrible norwester (a summer thunderstorm common in Bengal and Bihar) strikes. The lightning and thunder frighten him. He passes Suri and heads toward Massanjore when another tire bursts. This time, he has no spare.​

Finding Shelter in the Dak Bungalow

Stranded in heavy rain with no repair shop nearby, Aniruddha realizes he has taken a wrong turn and is lost. A truck driver helps him push his car to the side of the road. When the rain becomes a light drizzle, Aniruddha spots a light from a window. He walks toward it and meets Sukhanram, an old man who is the caretaker of an old dak bungalow. Sukhanram offers him coarse chapatis and dal for dinner and a bed for the night.​

Aniruddha learns that the bungalow once belonged to an English indigo planter and that an indigo factory used to be nearby. Only the chimney of the factory still stands. He jokingly asks if the place is haunted, but Sukhanram says there are no ghosts. Aniruddha goes to sleep, thinking about the past and feeling lucky to have found shelter.​

The Supernatural Experience

During the night, Aniruddha wakes up to scratching sounds at the door and the barking of a hound. He discovers that his wristwatch, torch, and suitcase are missing. Then he notices something shocking—his skin has become pale, his clothes are different, and his voice has an English accent. When he looks into a mirror, he sees a thirty-year-old Englishman with a sharp nose, thin lips, blond hair, and eyes full of suffering.​

His body begins to move on its own. He sits down and writes in a leather-bound notebook. The entry is dated April 27, 1868—exactly one hundred years before his visit. In the diary, the Englishman confesses that he is dying of malaria. He writes about his greed and cruelty toward the native workers on the indigo plantation. He expresses guilt and fear, knowing that no one will mourn his death. He worries about his faithful dog Rex, fearing that the villagers will kill the dog after he dies.​

The Englishman's hand takes a pistol from a drawer. He goes to the veranda and calls out to Rex, his greyhound. When the dog comes, the hand raises the gun and shoots the dog. Aniruddha watches in horror as his possessed body kills the innocent animal. The Englishman then returns inside, bolts the door, and points the gun at his own head. He commits suicide.​

Return to the Present

Aniruddha wakes up to knocking and Sukhanram's voice offering tea. It is now April 28, 1968—the morning after the hundredth death anniversary of the English indigo planter. The sun is shining, his belongings are back, and Sukhanram tells him about a nearby car repair shop. The supernatural experience is over. Aniruddha is left wondering if anyone would ever believe his incredible story.​

Publication

"Indigo" was originally written by Satyajit Ray in Bengali with the title "Neel Atanko" (meaning "The Indigo Terror" or "Fear of Indigo"). It was first published in Bengali in 1968. Ray later translated the story into English himself.​​

The story appears in the collection "Indigo: Selected Stories," published by Penguin Books. This collection brings together some of Ray's best supernatural and mystery stories. Ray was not only a world-famous filmmaker but also a skilled writer. He wrote many short stories, novels, and essays, mostly for young readers. His famous characters include the detective Feluda and the scientist Professor Shanku.​

"Indigo" is now part of the ISC Class 12 English syllabus in the PRISM collection of short stories. The story shows Ray's mastery in blending horror, suspense, and historical themes. It reflects his ability to create realistic settings where supernatural events feel believable.​

Context

The story is set against the backdrop of British colonial rule in India, especially the brutal history of indigo cultivation. During the 18th and 19th centuries, British planters forced Indian farmers in Bengal and Bihar to grow indigo instead of food crops. The indigo plant was used to make blue dye, which was in high demand in Europe.​

The British East India Company and planters exploited poor farmers through a system of loans and coercion. Farmers received advance payments but were trapped in debt. Indigo cultivation made the land infertile and left farmers without food crops. The farmers suffered great hardships, leading to the famous Indigo Revolt (Neel Bidroha) of 1859.​

Ray wrote this story to remind readers of this dark chapter of Indian history. Through the supernatural experience, he connects the present-day narrator to the colonial past, showing that history cannot be forgotten or buried.​

Setting

The story has two settings that blend into each other—the present (1968) and the past (1868).

Present-Day Setting (1968): The story begins in Calcutta, where Aniruddha lives and works. The main events occur on his journey to Dumka through the rural areas of Bengal and Bihar. He passes through small towns like Panagarh, Suri, and Massanjore. The countryside is described with clear blue skies, open fields, and bamboo trees. The peaceful journey turns dangerous when a norwester (summer thunderstorm) strikes.​

The Dak Bungalow: The central setting is an old dak bungalow in a remote area. These bungalows were rest houses built during British rule for traveling officials. This particular bungalow once belonged to an English indigo planter. It stands near the ruins of an indigo factory with only its chimney remaining.​

Past Setting (1868): During the supernatural experience, the bungalow transforms into its 19th-century version, complete with colonial furniture and atmosphere.​

Title

The title "Indigo" refers to the indigo plant and the blue dye produced from it. On a surface level, the title connects to the setting—an old bungalow owned by a British indigo planter.​

However, the title has deeper meanings. Indigo represents the exploitation and suffering of Indian farmers during colonial times. The British forced farmers to grow indigo, leading to poverty, starvation, and death. The title reminds us of this painful history.​

The colour indigo is often associated with sadness, mystery, and the supernatural. This fits the story's mood of horror and suspense. The title also suggests the "stain" of colonial guilt that cannot be washed away.​

Furthermore, "indigo" symbolises greed. The English planter in the story admits that he "could not resist" the lure of indigo—meaning the wealth it brought him. His greed led to cruelty and, finally, a tragic death.​

Narrative and Language

"Indigo" is written in the first-person narrative style. The narrator, Aniruddha Bose, directly addresses the readers as if sharing a personal experience. He uses phrases like "I must tell you" and "would anyone believe me," which create a conversational tone and pull readers into the story.​

Ray's storytelling technique is simple yet powerful. He builds suspense slowly, starting with ordinary events—a car journey, flat tires, and a storm. Gradually, strange things begin to happen, and the mood shifts from normal to eerie. The story moves smoothly between the realistic world and the supernatural world.​

The language is clear and easy to understand. Ray uses vivid descriptions to create pictures in the reader's mind. For example, he describes the countryside with "clear blue sky free from chimney smoke" and the storm with "shafts of lightning" and "claps of thunder". Sound imagery is also used effectively—the "chorus of frogs," the "scratching at the door," and the "barking of the hound" add to the atmosphere.​

Ray uses foreshadowing to hint at future events. The delayed departure, the flat tires, and the wrong turn all suggest that something bad is about to happen. The story's greatest strength is how Ray makes the supernatural seem believable within an ordinary setting.​

Themes

1. Colonialism and Exploitation

The story highlights the dark history of British colonial rule in India. The English indigo planter represents the cruel and greedy colonisers who exploited poor Indian farmers. He confesses in his diary that he treated the "natives" very badly. The indigo system trapped farmers in debt and poverty while making the British rich.​

Ray shows that colonial injustice left deep scars on Indian society. The planter's spirit remains trapped in the bungalow, suggesting that the sins of colonialism cannot rest in peace. The story serves as a reminder that history should not be forgotten.​

2. The Supernatural and the Uncanny

The supernatural is central to this story. Aniruddha experiences a paranormal event where his body transforms into that of a dead Englishman. His mind remains his own, but his body acts independently. This creates a sense of horror and helplessness.​

Ray uses the supernatural not just for thrills but to make a deeper point. The ghost of the planter possesses Aniruddha on the hundredth anniversary of his death. This suggests that unresolved guilt and suffering from the past can return to haunt the present. The supernatural becomes a way to confront history.​

Symbols

1. The Dak Bungalow

The dak bungalow is a powerful symbol of colonial legacy. These rest houses were built by the British for their officials across India. In the story, the bungalow represents the physical remains of colonial rule. It still stands, just as colonial history still affects India today.​

The bungalow also symbolises haunted memory. It stores the spirit of the dead planter, keeping his guilt and pain alive. When Aniruddha enters, he literally enters colonial history. The building becomes a bridge between past and present, showing that some places hold onto their dark history.​

2. The Greyhound Rex

Rex, the English planter's loyal dog, symbolises innocence and faithfulness. The dog loved his master without knowing about his cruel deeds. Rex represents those who suffer because of others' sins—just like the innocent Indian farmers who suffered under the indigo system.​

The killing of Rex is one of the most tragic moments. The planter shoots his own dog to "save" him from being killed by villagers later. This twisted act of love shows how guilt can lead to more violence instead of redemption. Rex's death symbolises the destruction of innocence by colonial greed.​

Conclusion

"Indigo" by Satyajit Ray is a masterful blend of supernatural horror and historical commentary. Through a simple story of a man stranded in an old bungalow, Ray brings to life a painful chapter of India's colonial past. The story reminds us that history never truly dies—it lingers in places, memories, and even spirits.​

The protagonist Aniruddha Bose experiences something impossible yet deeply meaningful. By living through the final moments of an English indigo planter, he gains firsthand knowledge of colonial guilt and cruelty. This supernatural experience changes him. After this night, he dedicates months to studying indigo history, showing how confronting the past can transform a person.​

Ray's skill lies in making the horror feel real and relevant. The story is not just about ghosts—it is about the ghosts of history that still haunt societies affected by colonialism. The English planter cannot rest in peace because of his sins. Similarly, the legacy of exploitation cannot be ignored by later generations.​

The story ends with Aniruddha wondering if anyone will believe him. This question suggests that many people prefer to forget uncomfortable history. Ray challenges readers to remember, understand, and learn from the past so that its horrors are never repeated.