Birth Anniversary: “I Dreamt of Satyajit Ray Last Night”: A Cinematic Encounter Beyond the Realms of Sleep - By Ali Peter John

These days, I don't know whether I'm more afraid of being among living people during the day or of the people and life that attack me in my dreams.

By Bollyy 02 May 2025 in Gossip Ali Peter John

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“I Dreamt of Satyajit Ray Last Night” A Cinematic Encounter Beyond the Realms of Sleep - By Ali Peter John

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"These days, I don’t know whether I fear the living more or the life that haunts me in my dreams."

That’s how last night began — with another long, surreal, and powerful dream. But this one was different. It wasn’t disturbing or cryptic like most of my dreams. It was a dream that felt like a message, a visitation from a legendary soul — the great filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

Satyajit Ray

And yes, he came to me. Not as a ghost. Not as a fantasy. But as a guiding spirit of cinema, with a voice full of wisdom and eyes heavy with concern for the art he once shaped.

The Unexpected Meeting with Ray — At My Old School

In the dream, I found myself walking past the old steps of a school I had left behind 55 years ago. Sitting there, calm yet commanding, was a tall, elderly man clad in a silk dhoti, a flowing kurta, and wrapped in a shawl. Children surrounded him, mocking him, calling him mad.

But I recognized him instantly — or at least I thought I did. It was Satyajit Ray.

I had only seen Ray once in real life, at Rajkamal Studios, during a background music session with cinematic giants like Raj Kapoor, Tapan Sinha, Mrinal Sen, and Manoj Kumar, and the sound wizard Mangesh Desai. I had also heard him speak once at FTII, his voice deep and assured, filled with conviction.

In the dream, I approached him, and yes, it was him. He had aged, his hair was grey, but his presence was unmistakable.

A Filmmaker's Concern for Modern Indian Cinema

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I asked him, "Why are you sitting here?"

He replied, in the same resonant voice I remembered from years ago:

"I’m deeply disturbed by the state of Indian cinema today. It doesn’t feel like Indian film land anymore. It feels like any other land — stripped of soul, heritage, and truth."

He sighed and added with a tremble in his voice:

"I only ever tried to portray the reality of my country, to make people see where we stood as a nation. But now, it seems no one wants to understand, let alone reflect. And what’s worse — they don’t want to change."

Despite admiring how Indian cinema had evolved technologically, Ray emphasized that content was sorely missing:

“A film can have a great body. But where is its soul?”

On Actors Who Mattered: Amitabh, Amjad & Others

Though unwell and coughing in the dream, Ray’s respect for actors shone through. He named Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Shabana Azmi, and Amitabh Bachchan as artists he admired deeply.

He recalled how he waited several months for Amjad Khan to recover from an accident because he couldn’t imagine making Shatranj Ke Khiladi without him. He considered Amjad one of India’s most underappreciated talents.

Satyajit Ray also reminisced about a young Amitabh Bachchan

Ray also reminisced about a young Amitabh Bachchan:

"His voice and presence were unforgettable. I told him to choose his roles carefully… I knew he would be great one day."

Amitabh once told me how much he admired Ray — his voice, his intellect, his love for classical and Western music. He even did the narration for Shatranj Ke Khiladi, and always wished he had acted in one of Ray's films — a dream left unfulfilled.

Shatranj Ke Khiladi

“I Will Return Again and Again” – Ray’s Message to Filmmakers

As my dream continued, Ray transformed. He no longer looked like a filmmaker, but a sage — wise, tormented, and persistent.

He said:

"Most filmmakers today have hearts but lack direction. I’ve come with a message: change is urgent. I will return again and again until cinema in India becomes what it once was — a reflection of truth, art, and soul.”

Then, slowly rising from the school steps, he began walking toward a village — the one I used to write in with pencils as a child, where I once bought mint candies. Before leaving, he asked for a sketchbook. I gave him the best I could find.

He smiled, waved, and said:

"I’ll be back. Again and again. I am a restless soul. And I will have no peace until the cinema I lived and died for becomes a sanctuary again — not a marketplace where art is bartered for cheap laughs and hollow spectacle."

Was It Just a Dream — Or a Wake-Up Call?

Do you still think it was just a dream?
Or maybe — just maybe — Satyajit Ray came to remind us that Indian cinema is at a crossroads. And unless we listen, his spirit will keep returning — not for applause, but to ignite conscience.

If only you had seen my dream… You would’ve understood the urgency in his eyes.