Detective Byomkesh Bakshy

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

Rated: 6.5/10

The year 1942. The backdrop, Calcutta. A director, Dibakar Banerjee, who has re-created an era with panache and elegance that only he can pull off. This is probably the only reason why Detective Byomesh Bakshy, and yes it is spelt with a ‘Y’, is able to hold one’s attention all through even though it moves at a rather slow pace.

For a movie that is about a detective who is out to save Calcutta and in the process solve a couple of murders, it can be a tad annoying when what one expects is a fast paced murder mystery. Those who have followed the series on Doordarshan may be disappointed with the character chosen to play the lead, in this case Sushant Singh Rajput, because he appears to stumble in places. Unlike Rajit Kapur who is calm, self-assured and has greys.

But by making his detective different from Saradindu Bandopadhay’s stories, Banerjee makes his intentions clear — that it is not just about finding who the killer is but a man’s journey of finally becoming a first class sleuth. The truth is that it is this difference that makes Bakshy, who with a boyish charm, manages to endear himself despite his weaknesses. Unlike the hero in a movie, this detective throws up at the sight of a dead body, is a squeamish at the sight of blood and berates himself when he realises that he has been taken for a ride. What is reverting is the manner in which the story plays out and bring the 40s period alive so brilliantly. The play of light and shadows gives this movie the mystery quotient. As the film progresses, Dibakar ensures that his detective comes of age in the end.

As for the performance, Sushant Singh is good. Though he is unlike the detective one would expect, he manages to hold his ground. Though there are too many characters and is difficult to keep track of them, a special mention some good acting by Anand Tiwari who plays Dr Watson to Byomkesh Bakshy, Divya Menon as Satyavati and Meiyang Chang who is one of the boarder at a ‘only men’ PG. This movie is a must watch for those who know Byomkesh and those who want to know about him.