By Murtaza Ali
Featured in IMDb Critic Reviews
 |
| Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015) - By Dibakar Banerjee |
Our Ratings: 8.0
IMDb Ratings: 8.4
IMDb Ratings: 8.4
Genre: Mystery | Thriller
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Neeraj Kabi, Swastika Mukherjee
Country: India
Country: India
Language: Hindi | Mandarin | Japanese
Runtime: 148 min
Color: Color
Summary: In a contemporary interpretation of war torn Calcutta during the 1940's, the film follows the first adventure of Byomkesh, fresh out of college, as he pits himself against an evil genius who is out to destroy the world. It's his wits against the most villainous arch criminal the world has seen, in a world of murder, international political intrigue and seduction.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is a 2015 suspense thriller film directed by the Indian filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee whose previous assignments include Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), LSD: Love, Sex Aur Dhokha (2010), and Shanghai (2012). Co-produced by Aditya Chopra and Banerjee himself, the movie is based on the popular sleuth character (named Byomkesh Bakshi... however, in the movie’s title, Bakshi is spelt as Bakshy) created by the Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!" stars Sushant Singh Rajput, Neeraj Kabi, Anand Tiwari, Swastika Mukherjee, Meiyang Chang, and Divya Menon in major roles. The movie is set in 1942-43 Calcutta (now Kolkata) with the carefully chosen World War II backdrop in an attempt to resonate the ever bustling tempo of the city of joy with the chaos and hysteria of war. But, did the attempt succeed? Well, we will certainly try to find an answer to this and many other pertinent questions during the course of this article. But, before we do that, let’s first focus on the various aspects of filmmaking.
 |
| Sushant Singh Rajput as Detective Byomkesh Bakshy |
The
title “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!” in itself gives a lot away without leaving
much to the imagination—irrespective of whether one is already acquainted with
Byomkesh Bakshi or not. There’s no denying that Byomkesh Bakshi is a cult
figure but it’s nowhere as famous as say a Sherlock Holmes or a James Bond. Hence
the smartly chosen title “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!” and not just “Byomkesh
Bakshy!” or “Byomkesh!”! The problem with nondescript titles based on relatively
lesser known fictional characters is that they defy reasonable marketing
strategies to attract the mass audiences. But why change Bakshi to Bakshy? And
why use an exclamation mark with the name? Well, according to Dibakar Banerjee,
these playful little adjustments have been made to make it more adventurous
than generic. Clearly, Banerjee doesn’t merely seem interested in adapting the
stories of Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. He has his eyes set on a bigger and a more
challenging goal: to transform pulp into cinema while adding his own creative
touches in the process and simultaneously ensuring that the spirit of the
source material remains intact.
 |
| Neeraj Kabi as Dr. Guha in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! |
"Detective
Byomkesh Bakshy!" is targeted towards a new audience and is bound to disappoint
the purists (they can still find solace in the 1993
Television series telecasted on Doordarshan). However, Byomkesh Bakshi enthusiasts
can still enjoy the film if they choose to approach it with an open mind. Come
to think of it, it is actually not much different than Christopher Nolan’s rejig
of the Batman saga that marked a departure from the comic book depiction of the
caped crusader. Like Nolan, Banerjee too seems to have a penchant for making
dark films like “Shanghai” and “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!”. Banerjee explains
it passionately: “The darker, the more intangible you go the more fun it is. It is slightly
dark, slightly out of focus.” Made in the tradition of Hollywood whodunits, “Detective
Byomkesh Bakshy!” is a richly textured detective story with a multilayered
narrative. And while Dibakar may refuse to acknowledge it, the film noir
influence just cannot be overlooked and is not limited to the presence of femme
fatales and private eyes.
 |
| Swastika Mukherjee as Anguri Devi |
 |
| A Still from Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! |
Banerjee’s
film is not original by any stretch of imagination, for he has borrowed ideas
from various other filmmakers. But, there is no shame in borrowing ideas as
long as one can concoct them into something unique. To his credit, Banerjee
achieves something similar with “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!” Although, Banerjee’s
Shanghai, in comparison, is a better work of cinema, it’s a cheap imitation of Costa-Gavras’
masterpiece Z (1969), which makes “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!” a greater achievement in the opinion of this critic. One
of the greatest merits of the film is that it brilliantly serves the purpose of
a suspense thriller. Some viewers may complain that the film is a bit
predictable at times but the truth is that it keeps the viewer guessing
throughout—the whole truth and the real motives of the various characters aren’t
revealed until the very end. There is a subtle difference between suspense and mystery
and “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!” for the most part falls in the former
category (yes, there is mystery but the suspense element is stronger). The master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock defines mystery as an
intellectual process while suspense as an emotional process. In order to get
the suspense element going it is essential to provide information to the
audience. Mystery, on the other hand, is created by withholding information
from the audience. So, there's no denying that Banerjee and team do succeed in their endeavor!
 |
| A Still from Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! |
Overall, “Detective
Byomkesh Bakshy!” can best be described as a marriage of commercial and
experimental filmmaking. It is entertainment galore but not at the expense of
creative freedom. In the context of contemporary Hindi cinema, “Detective
Byomkesh Bakshy!” is nothing short of a monumental achievement. And those who
think that Hindi cinema is not good enough to make great suspense
thrillers anymore (Of course, the great Vijay Anand was the pioneer of the genre in Hindi cinema) certainly need
to watch this film. Dibakar Banerjee needs to be congratulated for eliciting worthy
performances from his entire cast of actors. Sushant Singh Rajput seems to have
finally got the big break that he has been waiting for. Again his portrayal of Bandyopadhyay’s
sleuth may not satisfy the purists but nonetheless he manages to make his mark with a brilliantly nuanced performance.
Amidst a series of memorable performances, it’s Neeraj Kabi’s portrayal of Dr. Guha
that stands first among equals. Another performance that deserves a special
mention is that Swastika Mukherjee as Anguri Devi. The movie has some pacing issues
and it occasionally tries to purposefully misdirect the viewer but despite the
flaws it proves to be quite an enthralling experience. While the movie is bound to disappoint
the hardcore Byomkesh Bakshi enthusiasts, it has all the elements to satisfy
the masses and the classes alike. If the movie does well at the box office (and it most certainly will), a sequel may be just around the corner . Highly recommended!
Readers, please feel free to share your views/opinions in the comment box below . As always your feedback is highly appreciated!
References:
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015) Trailer
People who liked this also liked...
The best review I've read still now on DBB. You're very right to say that this Byomkesh will be a disappointment for the purists. It really is. We Bengalis are great fans of Feluda (sleuth of Satyajit Ray) and Byomkesh. A slight distortion in any of these two characters is enough to raise storms in teacups! Even Ray's son, Sandip Ray was not spared with his films on Feluda. So, you can well imagine our reactions on this film. :-D :-P
ReplyDeleteBut I agree with the point, watching it with an open mind might help to think otherwise.
Glad you liked the review... must thank you for taking the time out and sharing your thoughts with us... I am sure that the readers will definitely benefit from it. Btw, I must tell you that I myself am a great fan of Satyajit Ray! :-)
Delete