‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ Movie Review – Bollywood Bubble

Directed by: Dibakar Banerjee
Produced by: Aditya Chopra, Dibakar Banerjee
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari, Swastika Mukherjee
Duration: 2 hours 46 minutes
Bollywood Bubble Rating: 4/5

Bengalis’ love for suspense and detective crime thrillers is boundless. With a tight, clean script and smart execution Dibakar Banerjee‘s ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ looks like a right mix of everything that is needed in a mystery.

‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ is produced by Banerjee in collaboration with Aditya Chopra. Directed by the erstwhile director Dibakar Banerjee, who with every new film, makes the audience lose themselves in the intricacies of the narrative. The film is based on the fictional detective ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’ created by the Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ stars Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari and Swastika Mukherjee in principal roles.

Dibaker’s ‘Mr Bakshy’, is a far cry from the self-assured and the slightly graying at the temples detective, that is usually the description of the spies world over. ‘Mr Bakshy’, is just out of college a highly impulsive individual and even more restless. But he is sharp and crafty, taking baby steps towards becoming the notorious character of ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’.

The story unfolds in the backdrop of opium trade in Chinatown, Calcutta 1943. Byomkesh Bakshy (Sushant Singh Rajput) sidekick Ajit Bandyopadhyay’s father, a chemical scientist disappears and Ajit (Anand Tiwari), approaches Byomkesh to solve the case. The case leads Byomkesh to a boarding house owned and run by Dr Anukul Guha (Neeraj Kabi), who administers free health care to the poor. Ajit’s father was staying there before he went missing. To get a better grip on the case, Byomkesh shifts base to the boarding house. And as he goes deeper into the puzzle, what are the mysterious layers that he unfolds in the film? You will have to watch ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ to find out.

The film follows the core structure of whodunit. But Dibakar the master in this game, keeps you guessing till the very end. Sushant Singh Rajput is truly exceptional as ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’. He brings the right amount of boyish edge this amateur detective needs. The actor adequately brings out every shade of his character. He never sweeps you off your feet, it takes you a while to like him but slowly he will grow on you.

Tight screenplay ensures you are sucked into the film’s suspense right from the beginning. It is a murder mystery and you soon realize everybody is a suspect. The first half keeps you excited but the second half is tad disappointing as it dips in pace and energy. The supporting cast too is amazing, they do a fine job of hiding and revealing themselves as the story requires. Be it Anand Tiwari as the nerdy Ajit or Neeraj Kabi as the physician, or Divya Menon as Satyavati Bakshy’s love interest, Meiyang Chang as housemate Kanai and the steely seductress actress Swastika Mukherjee as Anguri Devi. The stunning camera work breathes life into Dibakar’s story. The background score adds to the aura of the 40’s.

Do watch it, you will be sucked into the mysterious world of ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’, that will seduce you with it’s Noir adventure!