Movie Review: Detective Byomkesh Bakshy…a case of rare brilliance

There are few movies that can measure up in the detective, thriller, mystery genre in the bollywood context. Most are either shameless rip-offs from Hollywood or too feeble to make an impact. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is one of those rare exceptions that not only leave their mark but have a signature style of their own..creating their unique brand and identity.

Firstly, and refreshingly so, let go of all fears and assumptions that this one will try and copy the established Mr. Holmes in any manner whatsoever. Byomkesh strives for greatness in its own way and while it may not seem so in the beginning or even as the movie progresses, once you leave the theater you will be in no doubt of the quality of movie, story, direction and presentation you have just witnessed.

Very few movies try and even less are successful to truly create ‘the world’ of its characters. One where you are drawn in to their world, witness proceedings from that perspective and are in no hurry to come back to reality and the present day scenario. With a masterclass in direction, Dibakar Banerjee accomplishes exactly that. From the production design to the very look of our detective, everything has been thought through in painful detail and the effort shows.

The movie starts off slow and for a while you wonder if perhaps Mr. Banerjee may have spent too much time in creating ‘the world’ than to give shape and substance to the plot. In fact, don’t go expecting a case, clues, suspects, questioning etc. the standard modus operandi for a detective story. Instead, just be willing to let go and witness the world and events from the eyes of Byomkesh Bakshi..not yet an established master detective, and neither one that is trying hopelessly to prove his point. The rest..you just need to witness for yourself

Barely recognizable as himself, with the enhanced unibrow, Sushant Singh Rajput does a credible job of playing Byomkesh Bakshy. To pull off this character required a restrained performance and that is exactly what he delivers. The weak links from an acting and performance standpoint are the women – Swastika Mukherjee has some chance to emote given her character, but that doesn’t happen. Divya Menon has a simpler role but doesn’t have a lasting presence. Some more established names could perhaps have lifted this already great movie, even more

But majority of the credit goes to the man pulling all the strings – Dibakar Banerjee. While already an established name, he takes things to a different level – using heavy metal as part of the background score, re-creating Calcutta in the era the movie is set, cutting across scenes and frames to keep a complex story coherent and keeping his audience engaged all through.

If you haven’t figured it by now – Byomkesh Bakshy is highly recommended. In fact, as the movie ends it points to the possibility of a sequel – I sure hope that’s gonna happen. Its not going to be easy, but after watching this one, I am pretty convinced that if anyone can do justice to it – its Dibakar Banerjee.