Detective Byomkesh Bakshy: All Reviews Here! - Page 7

Starring: Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari, Swastika Mukherjee, Neeraj Kabi, Divya Menon, Meiyang Chang

Directed by: Dibakar Banerjee

Produced by: Yashraj Films, Dibakar Banerjee Productions

Screenplay: Urvi Jubekar, Dibakar Banerjee

Cinematographer: Nikos Andritsakis

When I watch a whodunit, a typical detective/spy film, I usually want a nail biting suspense and an edge of the seat climax; I spend a good part of my time trying to second-guess the killer; and if I fail at doing that, I end up liking the whodunit. Dibakar Banerjee's Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!' didn't surprise me with its suspense. Yet I simply loved the film, every minute of it. Such is its impact that, for once, I revise my template of reviewing a detective movie.

It's a fabulous film. It is also an acquired taste.

Let me first state what this film is not. It's not an edge of the seat suspense thriller. It's not about a super slick detective (case in point Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock') whose superior little grey cells (like that of my favourite fiction detective Hercule Poirot) and deductive abilities can take on global conspirators and neighbourhood conmen with ease.

Dibakar Banerjee said that his Byomkesh Bakshy, with elaborate, researched background stories, evolves and flourishes in the milieu of the 1940s multi ethnic, urban melting pot that Calcutta was. It is also true to the original Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay text.

Aroma of this multi ethnic slow cooking pot permeates the entire film. It brings alive the emergence of a metropolis where plots and machinations of multiple kinds tackle the British Indian Raj, a feudal socio-political structure and colonialism. Many conspire, even as some aspire to the glitz and glam of quasi- European high life.

Epitomizing such aspirations is the mysterious movie star; and shaking up the order is a humble doctor running a typical Calcuttan boarding house. Adding to the drama is a Chinese legitimate opium dealer, a lost son looking for his chemistry genius father; and a nervous accountant. Byomkesh Bakshy, the eccentric, start-up detective, is cutting his teeth into his first case. There's the freedom struggle, an opiated atmosphere of underground drug trade and a Fascist Japan bombing chaotic Calcutta. Byomkesh must knit it all together to crack his first case. Is he being tricked as he solves it? Or by cracking this murder, will he unwittingly open a Pandora's Box with history altering consequences?

Answering that will give away the plot. But then the charm is not in the plot's resolution. For those who have read the Sharadindu books, the charm might not exist in its resolution at all.

The magic of this film is in its journey. This is textbook cinema of journey. Byomkesh's clumsy but enthusiastic first steps to becoming a detective engage you completely. It's the near perfection in meticulous detailing and recreation of the yesteryears Paris of the East (Before it was nicknamed City of Joy, Kolkata was also called that) that sets this film apart. A couple of sequences, like the one where Byomkesh and Ajit walk down the Forties Calcutta streets even as the camera tracks them mischievously deserve gush.

A flaw that stayed with me is that actors of different ethnic origins, including Chinese, speak in Hindi. That didn't work. The climax is somewhat predictable. And the villain delivers a mediocre performance in the film's crucial moments.

Having said that, Sushant Singh Rajput impresses with an unpretentious performance. Could a Bengali actor have played Byomkesh better? That's a tough one to answer, but not a fair assumption. Every other character in the film-Anand Tiwari, Divya Menon, Swastika Mukherjee, Meiyang Chang and Pradipto Kumar Chakroborty - delivers with elan. Once again, Dibakar's ability to extract the best from his actors is validated. His crew is outstanding; cinematography to art to background score, the film's technical finesse more than justifies the time and effort spent on it.

Last word for its makers; Dibakar Banerjee has spent nearly two years making this film with his crew. Yash Raj Films presents it and has collaborated on this film to give it a bigger platform. Commercial interests couldn't have been priority here; art definitely was. In its treatment, music and narration, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!' has set a new standard. Kudos to that.

Watch this film for an authentic original experience; look for suspense, but also look a slice of the Forties urban India. Watch it if you want to applaud original Indian writing. Of course, watch it, if you like me, simply love detective flicks.

The Final Verdict

Ticket Value Price: 85 Per cent.

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Gupt, Talaash, Kahaani, Ajnabee... the list is endless, and another name that adds to the list is Detective Byomkesh Bakshy. However, DBB is not similar to any of those Bollywood murder mysteries you have watched till date. Set in old Calcutta, the film will take you on a journey in to the colonial city of the 1940s with its old world charm. Not just that, it will surely keep you on the edge of your seat.

As we all know, Byomkesh Bakshy, played by Sushant Singh Rajput, is famous Bengali detective of Calcutta. A guy named, Ajit Bandyopadhyay (Anand Tiwari) seeks help from Byomkesh to find is father, Bhuwan Babu. During his search he get to know that Bhuwan is not missing, but is dead and he has been murdered. With that murder mystery, more and more stories starts unfolding leading him to an evil genius who is out to destroy the world.

Sushant Singh Rajput, titled as rising star of Bollywood after his debut film 'Kai Po Che', will again win the hearts of not just audience but critics as well. Talking about other cast of the film, be it Anand as Ajit, Swastika Mukherjee as Anguri, Neeraj Kabi as Dr. Anukul Guha, Divya Menon as Satyawati or Meiyang Chang as Kanai Dao, are just perfect in their respective roles.

Well, talk about the loop holes, couldn't spot any. Though there is one negative point about the film, the ending is too stretched. It will be like you already understood how things were planned and who is who, so why the villain has to repeat it all over again.

Background score was going well with the scenes and you might be so engrossed in the film that you might miss listening to the songs. So, in a way it is a good thing that songs have jelled so well with the storyline.

On the whole, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is great film, but just because of its stretched and little confusing second half cannot call it a perfect film. If you are fan of typical Bollywood films that are full of masala, action, drama and romance, then don't DBB is not the film for you. However, the film is interesting and thrilling enough to keep you glued to screen throughout. See the film and do post comments to let us know if you agree with the review.

No, he isn't the Byomkesh Bakshi of the 90s. Nor does he wear the thick-rimmed spectacles. And, he's Bakshy and not Bakshi. Face it! However, there's surprise in store for you. With his film, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!, Dibakar Banerjee's takes us through a spectacular cinematic time travel along the dark alleys of the pre-independent Calcutta.

Away from the mainstream melodrama, Dibakar Banerjee's films are a treat to watch. Whether it's Khosla Ka Ghosla or Love, Sex Aur Dhoka or Shanghai, Banerjee has always given us films with intricate characters and plots. If you laughed while watching Khosla Ka Ghosla, LSD left you awestruck. This time again, Dibakar Banerjee hits the bull-eye with Byomkesh Bakshy.

The film is a noir adventure, with Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead role of Byomkesh. The actor who last appeared in PK, gives a refreshing performance. But at times, he might remind you of Raghu from Shuddh Desi Romance. But still, the actor delivers a power-packed performance. Anand Tiwari who plays the character of Ajit Banerjee also gives a good performance. Swastika Mukherjee plays the character of the mysterious seductress with finesse. Banerjee does a brilliant with his characters as well as the entire set of the film. He pays attention to every minute details. The advertisement posters, the objects, the cigarette tin, the random man in the baazar with fresh fish in his hands... everything is like straight out from Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay's stories of the sleuth.

The plot... well, expect the unexpected! The story follows a series of murders, which Byomkesh tries to solve. The murders, however, leads Byomkesh into a more complicated series of affairs. The suspense build up is terrific and will keep you hooked on to film.

The music syncs well with the film. The tracks are fresh and catchy. Done with collaboration with various artistes like Madboy/Mink, Ursi Banerjee, Akshay De and others, the film's music is unlike the usual Bollywood fare.

Why should you watch the film?

Who doesn't love a classic whodunit-crime film? Detective Byomkesh Bakhsy! is not your regular Bollywood package. If you enjoy watching suspense, this film got it all! Plus, the end promises more. And, we really don't mind. Bring it on Banerjee!

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