Detective Byomkesh Bakshy: All Reviews Here!

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majoni03

@majoni03

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+ 5

Posted: 10 years ago

#81

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Edited by majoni03 - 10 years ago

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you2

@you2

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+ 6

Posted: 10 years ago

#82

By one of my favorite critics 😊

manishalakhe @manishalakhe

aaya shikari, o panchhi tu sambhal jaa... delightful classic whodunit this #DetectiveByomkeshBakshi my review: http://manishalakhe.blogspot.com/2015/04/review-detective-byomkesh-bakshy.html ...

THURSDAY, APRIL 02, 2015

Review: DETECTIVE BYOMKESH BAKSHY

Dibakar Bannerji Ki Aankh

3 stars

Mini Review:

Very, very stylish whodunit, but in the tradition of Raj Khosla/Guru Dutt's CID. It's like a stew, cooked over fire for nine hours. Tad long but the details will delight you.

Main Review:

It's a whodunit. So there are red herrings (should I say 'Ilish' since the movie is set in Kolkata?) and blind alleys and you want to be the one who has figured out who did it. But it doesn't matter because Dibakar Bannerji takes you on one heck of a tram ride through the Kolkata of the 40s.

But before you book your Kolkata trip, here's some preparation. Make a list of people you would want to go to the movies with. Then delete the ones who claim to be sharper than the TV show with Cumberbatch and co. Ruthlessly delete from your list the liars who claim to have seen all 'noir' movies and read all detective books (even Surendra Mohan Pathak ones) and have seen the Rajit Kapoor TV show. Also delete the ones who want 'edge of the seat' excitement (send them to watch Fast and Furious running in screen 3). Keep those who want to enjoy the unraveling of a story without saying,'Mujhe pehle se maloom tha yahi khooni hoga!'

If your friends are like mine - too well read, too smart - then please don't feel sorry for yourself. Book that single ticket. You won't regret it.

I have given it three stars simply because I absolutely, positively hated the end and I do wish our filmmakers would stop being members of a fan club of a certain Hollywood director. It was teeth-grittingly over-done. The rest, aah the rest...

No other director can make you watch a slow moving tram from one side of the vehicle, show you (without getting inside the tram) what is inside the tram, and then also make you watch fascinatedly at the road behind the trams and the alleys even further. And this is just the beginning of the film. You are hooked by the time you meet Byomkesh Bakshy (I actually wondered why no one did to Sherlock Holmes what Ajit Bannerji does to Byomkesh when they first meet.)

So there is a murder to be solved (oh come on! whodunit hai, murder scores over diamond heists any day), and you get pulled into watching people eat, live, sleep, wear dhoti the bengali way, pull the slatted windows shut without getting off the bed, wear shawls, watch cars and people navigate through Kolkata, watch Bakshy babu hold his dhoti to step aside and walk around garbage, watch college rec room events, stare at the railway canteen cup of chai and alu-bhaja (you will want to eat that big steaming wedge of masala potato which Byomkesh carefully pierces with his fork instead of the popcorn in your lap).

When red herrings sidetrack the detective, you feel frustrated. When He's seduced into losing his logic, you want to step into the frame and help him. You also know that if you did, you'd be sidetracked by the things on the make-up table, the paan box, the kitchen, the people...

What a cast! Not one out of place. Sushant Singh Rajput and his unibrow are so believable, you instinctively trust him. Anand Tiwari is perfect, so is Neeraj Kabi. The other lodgers at the boarding house, the cops, the politicians, the femme fatale, the damsel in distress, the minor cast (the job hunter, the chemist, the factory guards, the gardener) are also memorable. But the coolest of the lot is the old cook and general dogsbody. He's a reminder of the family retainers that are fast disappearing -- always ready with a thali full of teacups, or alu-bhaja (french fries) -- those who know so much more than they let on...

There is an undercurrent of quiet humor that is ever present, and even when you are smiling at the factory guards you notice that Byomkesh is wearing the pants that belong to the coat Dr. Guha is wearing. You will also love how the servant steps over something towards the end of the movie. Smiles thus induced offer you relief from the consistent action. No, no! This is Kolkata, it is never fast and furious. But the director keeps you glued to the action on screen. Even if it is the lodger pleasurably sinking into the chair after eating paan.

Some will complain about a couple of far-fetched plot points, but it's a murder mystery being solved by a college dude... give yourself a break. Yes, the end was so annoying you want to take the katana and those cigarettes and slash and burn the fan club.

The end credits are beautifully done. Wait before you head out. Dibakar Bannerji ki aaankh for detail will make you a confirmed fan. And yes, I googled pictures of the femme fatale after coming back home. She's something else...

Posted by manisha lakhe at 9:09 PM

P.S. Sushant Singh Rajput is a good actor. And despite the unibrow the director has given the lad, he's droolworthy.😃

Edited by you2 - 10 years ago

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Anushya Pandian

@Minion23

Sparkler

+ 3

Posted: 10 years ago

#83

'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!' - Movie Review

By Shubha Shetty Saha |Posted 1 hour

40 0

'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!'
U/A; Suspense/Thriller
Director: Dibakar Banerjee
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari, Swastika Mukherjee
Stars:

As soon as you settle in and the movie begins, you are pulled into a unique, beguiling sepia toned, rose tinted world, a world that we look back with admiration and intrigue, a world of simple people with simpler lives. Director Dibakar Banerjee with his admirable eye for detailing, charmingly transports us to Calcutta of late 30s, right in the middle of the uncertainty and chaos created by World War II. This was the historical phase when the country's general sentiment of simmering resentment towards the British was fast reaching a boiling point, after being forced to be part of the war.

The poster of 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!'

What is still endearing about detective Byomkesh Bakshi's character after 80 years of him being created by the genius Bengali writer, Shardindu Bandhopadhyay is that, he is not a quintessential hero, he is one of us, who happens to have honed his observation power and whose brain cells work at a speed, perhaps just a few minutes faster than other mortals. And that is why Sushant Singh Rajput with his understated performance smugly fits into this role too.

Dibakar Banerjee also stays true to the 'Bengaliness' of the character, white dhotis and cigarette blowing smoke not wavering from its well-earned place.

Byomkesh is looking for the missing father of his classmate, Ajit Bandopadhyay (Anand Tiwari) and inadvertently stumbles upon the dark secret of a dangerous gang.

As Byomkesh puts piece by piece together to solve the mystery, you look at the film piece by piece and get mighty impressed by the efforts that has gone into painstakingly recreate the era, individual characters, the ambience, the lingo, the body language and the mannerisms and those dialogues. Dibakar, in his strongly individualistic and confident style brings each fascinating character into life, even if they don't have much to do in the whole scheme of things. His characterisation of a male house help is pure delight. However, put those brilliant individual pieces together, the overall film leaves you underwhelmed. The discredit for this could go to the somewhat convoluted story construction and narration and a hint of self-indulgence. The first half keeps you excited but the second half is tad disappointing as it dips in pace and energy.

Credit to the director perhaps, but each of the characters, leading with Sushant and Neeraj Kabi, have come up with extremely convincing performances. Only Swastika Mukherjee, the Bengali actress who makes her debut in Hindi films, seemed to be trying too hard to fit into the mysterious character Angoori Devi that she plays.

Don't miss it. Even if just to go back to the magical world of nostalgia created so beautifully and earnestly by Banerjee and cinematographer Nikos Andritsakis.

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you2

@you2

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+ 6

Posted: 10 years ago

#84

RAJ BANSAL @rajbansal9

Will #FastAndFurious7 day one total India reach 15 cr. waiting for the official figures... Superb.

BO might be a problem..FF7 has got grrreat feedback.Thursday was not full release😲.

money recovery is YRF's headache.I am so relelieved that Dibakars mastery is still unquestionable...and Bollywood has got such a promising leading man..so versatile.

Remember,release date cannot take away anything from the very talented👍🏼

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majoni03

@majoni03

Stunner

+ 5

Posted: 10 years ago

#85

Movie Review: Detective Byomkesh Bakshy

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari, Swastika Mukherjee, Neeraj Kabi, Divya Menon, Meiyang Chang; Director: Dibakar Banerjee; Rating: ***1/2

Friday, April 03, 2015 | Copyright: India-forums.com/Bollywood | 0 Comments | 1420 Views

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.

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ChannaMereya

@ChannaMereya

Trailblazer

+ 2

Posted: 10 years ago

#86

Originally posted by: you2
RAJ BANSAL @rajbansal9
Will #FastAndFurious7 day one total India reach 15 cr. waiting for the official figures... Superb.

BO might be a problem..FF7 has got grrreat feedback.Thursday was not full release😲.

money recovery is YRF's headache.I am so relelieved that Dibakars mastery is still unquestionable...and Bollywood has got such a promising leading man..so versatile.

Remember,release date cannot take away anything from the very talented👍🏼

It will be huge problem and DBB has less screen I will be happy if it manages 4 to 5 cr FF7 seems to be posing huge challenge

Quote

Anushya Pandian

@Minion23

Sparkler

+ 3

Posted: 10 years ago

#87

Sushant Singh Rajput's 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy' is intriguing, thrilling & dark!

03-Apr-2015
|
19
|
Urvi Parikh

Movie: Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari, Neeraj Kabi, Swastika Mukherjee and Divya Menon.

Director: Dibakar Banerjee

Producer: Yash Raj Films

Slaps: Pace of the film

Claps: Story, performances, direction

Story: A detective Byomkesh Bakshy (Sushant Singh Rajput) has been asked to solve a complicated murder mystery involving a certain Bhuvan Banerjee, by his son (played by Anand Tiwari). The plot moves further and gets intensified when a series of murders follow. This is when a film actress Anguri Devi (Swastika Mukherjee) comes into picture. She has some secrets hidden deep within her and uses her sexual charm as a tool to manipulate the situation. As Byomkesh goes on solving this mystery, it is further revealed that what appeared to be just a murder is actually a big conspiracy that has put the entire city of Calcutta in danger. Whether Byomkesh is able to decode this mystery, is what forms the main plot of the movie.

Performances: Sushant Singh Rajput excels as Detective Byomkesh Bakshy. He captures the nuances of a bengali character just perfectly. He definitely deserves applause. Anand Tiwari is a good support to Byomkesh and manages to generate few laughs in this serious story. Swastika Mukherjee charms you with her sensuality and needless to say is good in her role. Neeraj Kabi is exceptional. He takes the film to another level.

Direction: Dibakar Banerjee surely knows how to keep the audience intrigued. He captures the minutest details of the 1943 Calcutta with great brilliance. Though the film's pace tends to test your patience, the thrilling story does keep you hooked till the end. If you are bored of the regular formulaic Bollywood Films, then this one is surely for you. The film stands true to the tag line 'expect the unexpected'.

Combo on offer: Drama + Suspense = A hatke thriller

Final Verdict: We give the film claps for its strong content and stellar performances.

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you2

@you2

Sparkler

+ 6

Posted: 10 years ago

#88

This the only way the young brigade can stand up to the Khans' might at the Boxoffice.30-40 crores opening figures is not coming anytime soon.

Doing great films,work with the best directors and give excellent performances 👍🏼

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majoni03

@majoni03

Stunner

+ 5

Posted: 10 years ago

#89

Aniruddha Guha @AniGuha

Dibakar gives us a franchise we can root for. My review of #DetectiveByomkeshBakshi, which looks and sounds gorgeous https://youtu.be/NWc2ZLqkR7c

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majoni03

@majoni03

Stunner

+ 5

Posted: 10 years ago

#90

Movie Review: Detective Byomkesh Bakshy

A murder mystery classic

More on: Movie Review, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, Sushant Singh Rajput, Dibakar Banerjee

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Written By Rachit Gupta

Features Editor

Posted Fri, Apr 3, 2015

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Director: Dibakar Banerjee

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari, Swastika Mukherjee and Neeraj Kabi

Whodunits are like lost treasure. There was a time they were abundant, but with moving times, the best were left behind in the golden eras. If anyone could dig deep into the stretches of time and pull out a murderous and mysterious rabbit out of the hat, its the talented Mr Dibakar Banerjee. His retelling of the Detective Byomkesh Bakshy saga is like a trip in a time machine. You're taken back to the Calcutta of 1940s, literally. It's the most authentic and detailed recreation of that era. The storytelling doders a wee bit, it ends up a bit too gory at the end but the filmmaker's vision is just spectacular. This is the perfect example of flawless execution.

The setting is quite intense. Calcutta is jostling with the nervous air of World War II. But that hasn't stifled the ambitions of a young private detective called Byomkesh Bakshy. He sets out on a regular missing person's case only to stumble into something deeper, deceitful and totally treacherous. Yes we've seen and loved the recent Sherlock Holmes blitz in the West, but to watch the wily Byomkesh unravel mysteries in an age when Google and smartphones were firmly locked away in Da Vinci's diary is fascinating. The way his seemingly ordinary case turns into a complex web of crime is fascinating. The story pulls you in. Every step of the way, with every new development you feel a sense of tension. You're mind starts thinking ahead, you want to second guess what's about to happen. And yet, Banerjee and co-writer Urmi Juvekar's screenplay keeps surprising you. There are plenty of twists here to bamboozle your brains out.

Great writing is half the battle won. But what about phenomenal production? Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is a glorious example of great production design. The costumes, the locations, the props, the vehicles and everything that comes together to make the visuals of this movie is faultless. Its as if Banerjee's team travelled back in a time vortex, shot their movie in 1942 and hopped back 73 years in a jiffy. The detailing is beyond brilliant. Same goes for the cinematography by Nikos Andritsakis. The play with lights, shadows and silhouettes is a nostalgic throw back to the cinema of the forties. Dibakar does well to sneak in those Hitchcock and Kurosawa influences.

Having said all that, one has to acknowledge the movie's audience unfriendly nature. Not that the movie is too complex or not well thought out. The logic at work in this script is perfect. And yet, the pace is a bit deliberate and unhurried. It's as if sometimes the movie just takes too long to unravel it's plots. And then you have the curious case of blood and gore. Right at the end, almost out the of nowhere, the film adopts a Kill Bill kind of slash and gore treatment. One has to wonder how that would go down with the average hindi film buff.

Nonetheless, that's a small speck on a much larger canvas. A vivid and surreal scape of art created by Dibakar and Sushant Singh Rajput in equal parts. While the director takes extra efforts in packaging and presenting his film, the actor makes sure the soul is intact and engaging. Sushant's portrayal of Byomkesh Bakshy is hard proof that this man has extreme talent. The natural flair with which he handles the myriad situations in the movie is impressive. He delivers the kind of performance you'd expect from a veteran. He draws you in, he makes you believe in his director's story. He is the catalyst of this heady, funny and exotic concoction.

Watching Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is an exhilirating and engaging experience. With its enriched visuals and edgy music, this film really serves up great thrills. Yes, the ride is a bit bumpy and the average film aficionado might not take kindly to the sudden influx of violence, but those are variables in a larger game. This film is bubbling with nervous energy and it has all the trappings to entertain. Miss it at your own risk. Movies this well-made are hard to come by.