When his father Bhuvan Babu goes missing, his son Ajit Banerjee who has had a strained relationship with him reluctantly seeks the help of detective Byomkesh Bakshy to find him. What initially appears to be just a case of a missing person soon unravels into a creepy plot not just involving Bhuvan, but a whole flock of government and foreign agents. Set in the backdrop of vintage 1942 Calcutta, this is the original story of the famous detective character created by Saradindu Bandopadhyay – Byomesh Bakshy who is at the core for the rest of this movie.
Language:
Hindi
Running Time:
151 min
Rating:
U/A
Release date:
03 April 2015
Directed by:
Dibakar Banerjee
Produced by:
Aditya Chopra
Dibakar Banerjee
Written by:
Dibakar Banerjee
Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay
Urmi Juvekar
Based on:
Satyanweshi, Pother Kanta and Arthamanartham
by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay
Starring:
Sushant Singh Rajput
Anand Tiwari
Swastika Mukherjee
Divya Menon
Neeraj Kabi
Meiyang Chang
Music by:
Blek
Dibakar Banerjee
IJA
Joint Family
Madboy/Mink
Mode AKA
Peter Cat Recording Co
Smokey The Ghosht
Sneha Khanwalkar
Shot by:
Nikos Andritsakis
Editing by:
Manas Mittal
Namrata Rao
Distributed by:
Yash Raj Films

What’s Hot

  • Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is possibly India’s best-looking sleuth flick till now. The creative team has to be lauded for the impeccable transition of Saradindu Bandopadhyay’s fictional hero from the small screen to the Silver screen. Nikos Andritsakis’ brilliance with the camera oozes in every frame as he paints the Calcutta of the 1940’s, set in the backdrop of Japanese invasion and drugs smuggling.
  • This iconic Bengali character has been brought to life by Sushant Singh Rajput with great panache as he pulls off the role oozing with cynical sparkle. He exhibits the right body language and conveys the right amount of youthful charm, this amateur private eye needs.
  • Neeraj Kabi as Dr.Guha is a revelation. His tremendous acting skills come to the fore and he reserves his best for the closing scenes of this mystery-laced thriller. Be it the the dead-eyed expressions while committing a murder or his supposed enjoyment when Sushant narrates his theory behind the murders, fetch Kabi’s talent to the façade.
  • One must say that Dibakar Banerjee has not just brilliantly pulled off a classic whodunit thriller which holds the suspense quite firmly till the end but has also managed to form a strong base for a crime-mystery franchise. He has to be commended for delivering a rather edgy thump without resorting to the larger-than-life frenzy. The background score by Sneha Khanwalkar is diverse and by some means seems to work for the film.
  • Anand Tiwari, as the son who tries to find his missing father and later seamlessly slipping into the role of Sushant’s understudy, the shakily precise Pradipto Kumar Chakrabarty and Swastika Mukherjee as the seductress Anguri Devi have essayed their roles to perfection.

What’s Not

  • An average cinemagoer is always used to expecting some nail-biting moments in a detective flick. Even though the movie provides many such moments, the film stretches – scenes between Byomkesh and a slow-talking, slow-smoking, slow-pouting Angoori drags the plot and pulls down the pace. Redundant characters make the emergent tautness pop away.
  • For the Doordarshan lovers, who have been fans of a more cloistered and restrained Byomkesh in Rajit Kapoor’s TV series, Sushant Singh Rajput come across as a little ludicrous and irresolute on his first case.

Badges

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

Detective Byomkesh Bakshi has to cater to two different kinds of audiences -- those who are familiar with Byomkesh and those who aren’t. Dibakar Banerjee has managed to tread that fine line with immense finesse. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is a must-watch, especially for those who are not smitten by Sherlock Holmes. With a stunning build-up, it keeps you guessing till the very end. It is laced with elements that will make you rack your brains. Watch it for an amazing story and an even better execution.