MOVIE REVIEW
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!
Starring: Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari,
Swastika Mukherjee
Director: Dibakar Banerjee
One thing’s clear. You need an acquired taste to appreciate Dibakar Banerjee’s take on one of the most iconic characters of Indian television, detective Byomkesh Bakshi—sorry, Bakshy!
Set in war-torn Calcutta of the early 1940s, the film has an almost inert first half, a stunning opening sequence notwithstanding. It picks up pace only after the interval and then the movie has you well and truly in its grip right till the climax though the plotting does get convoluted at times.
A socially awkward youngster, Byomkesh’s (Sushant Singh Rajput) life changes when he meets writer Ajit Banerjee (Anand Tiwari) who is searching for his missing father, a reputed chemist. Byomkesh is convinced that the old man has been killed and that’s how he lands his first investigating assignment, and as the case evolves, so does he.
The film belongs to Sushant Singh Rajput who more than delivers, nicely slinking into his part of an amateur investigator slowly coming into his own. He gives us a hero we grow to care for. Anand Tiwari, the Dr. Watson to Byomkesh’s Holmes, and Neeraj Kabi as the wise homoeopath, also pitch in fine performances. Swastika Mukherjee cast as the seductress and debutante Divya Menon as the girl Byomkesh is attracted to, do justice to their roles.
The cinematography is stylish and evocative, and the production design perfect in its detailing with each frame painstakingly crafted. Sneha Khanwalkar’s soundtrack is terrific.
So despite its drawbacks—it’s a far from perfect film—Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! deserves to be watched because it is not your run-of-the-mill Bollywood fare.
TOP 10 SONGS
1. Jeena Jeena (Badlapur)
2. Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan (Roy)
3. Desi Look (Ek Paheli Leela)
4. Chhil Gaye Naina (NH10)
5. Calcutta Kiss (Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!)
6. Dard Karaara (Dum Laga ke Haisha)
7. Piddly Si Baatein (Shamitabh)
8. Baatein Ye Kabhi Na (Khamoshiyan)
9. Tu Jo Hain (Mr. X)
10. Manwa Laage (Happy New Year)
TOP 10 MOVIES
1. Dum Laga Ke Haisha
2. Badlapur
3. NH10
4. Ek Paheli Leela
5. Baby
6. PK
7. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!
8. Roy
9. Khamoshiyan
10. Hey Bro
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
