Detective Byomkesh Bakshy

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Audience reviews (7)

31 ratings · user score 6.4

1. SO

   SomakApr 2015

   7/10

   First things first. If you are some cynic who is more interested in criticizing the "failed" adaptation of Sir Saradindu Bandopadhyay classic crime mystery thriller novels rather than Bollywood's keen interest to shade some light on that, then I would recommend to keep yourself away from the movie if it hurts your sentiments that much. Or, if possible, try to watch the movie as a thriller with some sleuth keeping aside the "Bakshi(y)" factor. There's a difference between "Based on the novel by" and "Based on characters created by", and here's where Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is entirely discordant than the Saradindu classic, rather than only being dissimilar in the surname spelling. Director Dibakar Banerjee used the Saradindu Bandopadhyay classic "Satyanweshi" just to introduce the characters and from there, everything is plotted fresh and perky. BYOMKESH BAKSHI used to clear the air by disapproving himself as some sleuth or detective rather than he believed himself to be "Truth-Seeker" whose sole duty is to focus on one's surrounding and concentrate on every single detail that too very closely as his chances to find the truth was easier that way. But that according to him, is nothing to fancy yourself as some sleuth. Which idea is skillfully preserved in the movie by when you find your nemesis to be as sedulous and cunning as you. What do you do then? Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is one hell of a ride of mystery, mayhem and arcane events where you expect something to end, but its other dimension just initiates. Dibakar Banerjee has authored one hell of an interesting story based on the original classic but somehow leave some doubtful gestures while plotting. But that is okay as long as it is successful to thrill the viewer. The film is set in the Second World War torn Calcutta during the 1940s and follows the first adventure of Byomkesh Bakshy, fresh out of college, as he pits himself against an evil genius who is out to destroy Calcutta. Using his wits against the most villainous arch criminal the world has seen, in a world of murder, international political intrigue and betrayal. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is an edgy thriller which even after revealing its ominous motive towards one half keeps unfolding more and more conundrums just to keep the anxiety holding till it finally sustains, that is something rarely seen in thrillers. In association with Saradindu Bandopadhyay created characters, Dibakar Banerjee manages to weave a breathtaking tale involving mind games between two equal or slightly unequal geniuses which lead to horrifying aftermath. Who is smarter? I bet you can't evaluate that. Grim, Gory and Shrewd, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy​ is the most enjoyable ride that keeps you glued to your seats until it decides to finish itself. Must Watch for thriller lovers.

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2. TE

   Tejas NairApr 2015

   6/10

   A friend tells me why Banerjee decided to replace the "i" to "y" in the title Bakshy because he wanted to "create a balance (sic)" and God knows what he meant by that. Maybe he wanted to differentiate between the loads of previous adaptations and samplings from his magnum opus. Anyway, the purpose gets almost fulfilled. World War II is happening and the frame focuses on pre-Independent Calcutta. Byomkesh Bakshy (Rajput), our own (aspiring) detective, is approached by Ajit (Tiwari) to investigate the disappearance of his scientist father. Bakshy sets out and gets entangled in a mesh of illegal opium trade, politics, nationalism, and fight over power - all in the backdrop of the ever formidable War. The story picks up, goes haywire, picks up, goes haywire, and picks up to become a titillating thriller which demands rapt attention if one hopes to understand the plot better. The film is multi-layered, with Bakshy jumping streets, throwing wits, figuring out his foolishness, getting apprehended, and finally inching near the truth through a complicated maze. So there is a high chance that the audience may be divided into many types: the ones who delve into the plot and figure out the whole drama along with all the niceties, the ones who get the picture, but are confused about certain factors, the ones who know what the film is about, but have no idea who the villain is and what his intentions are, and the ones who sneer at their own lack of ability to construe the whole rave. Yes, the plot is intense with gory and vivid depictions of War and its side-stories through the eyes of India. One will feel the adrenaline rush, watching the fiction unfold through twists and turns. But the biggest problem is that the antagonist is revealed by the interval and all you have in the second half is the build up. Of course this buildup is not raw, but climactic. Banerjee has truly transitioned India's own, calm and cool detective into an excitable character, and with the gritty story, it is already being nominated as a future cult classic. The attention to details (from fear of anachronism) and production design is the biggest highlight of the whole film, and will definitely mesmerize people who can grasp it. Plus, the sound mixing is the most brilliant work I have seen in Bollywood so far. The indie score/music is brilliant, but it may divide the audience, because of heavy and shameful use towards the end. Inventive camera work that will keep you at the edge of your seat, but the screenplay had equal potential to push you back, and there is where one experiences exhaustion. The cast is good, and Rajput can be lauded. His efforts are clearly visible. BOTTOM LINE: All in all, a great effort by the team for adapting a highly revered character into silver screen without spoiling it. 6/10 - average. Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES Gore/Violence: Strong | Drugs/Smoking: Medium

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3. OM

   Omkar JoshiMay 2015

   7/10

   Review: Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! Rating: 4/5 The Directorial marvel by Dibakar Banerjee maintaining his हटके storytelling way and skillful piece of Acting by Sushant Singh Rajput; takes us on a journey of Midpalace of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy to experience 1942 Calcutta in British-ruled India. Story: Initially a missing person case takes turns and reveals it as a murder mystery which later reveals the plan to invade Calcutta by Chinese and the Japanese invaders. The screenplay asks continuously the question "WHY" to viewers and characters themselves about the mysterious case keeping the slow-increasing tension till the end. Although the Interval-Moment looks like kept intentionally at that specific position for splitting total length. Casting: Screen presence by Swastika Mukherjee was duration-wise fair enough. Neeraj Kabi as Dr. Anukul Guha is cherry on the top and will worth to remember. Technicalities: Captured awesome location scenes by Cinematographer Nikos Andritsakis showing old and periodic Calcutta. Lightings, Shadowing, Frame angles, etc technicalities are worth to experience which improves story-screenplay values. Reasons to watch: It's a must watch for those who worship Mystery Thriller Genre. Afterall its First Ever case of Byomkesh Bakshy. Some may call it an Indian Sherlock! Reasons to avoid: It's a complete "Class" movie which may keep Mass audience away from it. It's an average paced screenplay and may feel drag at couple of post-interval positions. Overall its must watch in theaters only!

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4. HI

   himanshu pandeySept 2015

   7/10

   Byomkesh Da bhaalo bhaalo! :: Hw can we forget our 'bengali homes' played by so subtle rajit kapoor on doordarshan tele series...it still gives us d goosebumps..so this one by dibakar da also takes u down the smokey lanes of 40s kolkata engulfed in the shades of japanese invaders,chinese smugglers,opium traders and ofcourse freedom seekers..minute detailing of kolkata is the best thing abt the movie...the cinematography stands out..background music goes well with the narration..every characters seems to b sunken into that era.at times it gets languorous bt i think such kind of movies needs patience to make us flow wd the narration..u may not like this flick,may be it does not entertains u at that level which this genre could hav done bt it certainly mesmerises ur heart with its placid nd relaxed atmosphere nd u feel redemptive nd craves for more.

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5. -M

   -Mohit Arora-Oct 2015

   7/10

   If you have fond memories Basu Chaterjee's suave and mature adaption of Byomkesh Bakshi aired on DD in 1993, you might be in for a surprise after watching Dibakar Banerjee's adaption. For this latest avatar of BB is a young lad who is as restless and careless as many 20 something guys of today. Almost a chain smoker, Sushant Singh Rajput's BB is even over-confident at times and thus ends up committing few mistakes but is smart enough to learn from them and correct them as well. And this in my view also becomes a part reason as to why the movie is slow to begin with since we see him grow almost from scratch. The plot of the movie is, quite expectedly, about unravelling a mystery. The mystery is laid in the backdrop of drugs cartel, World War II and India's freedom struggle. And more than the prime plot, its the thread with which all the above backdrop subjects are interwoven is more interesting and even intelligently crafted. And all that is thrown in the beautiful frames of old Calcutta courtesy some superb work behind the lens by cinematographer Nikos Andritsakis. Unfortunately, the mystery is not as gripping as one would expect but the editing and the sequence of events ensure that you are bound to lose track of whats happening if you don't pay attention, especially in the second half. In a way, being not-so-mysterious works well for the movie for it avoids the usual cliche of throwing a huge surprise in your face like the many other whodunnit movies. Sushant Singh Rajput is remarkable in BB's character and so are his other hostel mates and the hostel owner. There is a dash of glamour courtesy Swastika Banerjee, some of whose scenes in the first half were unnecessary. But nevertheless, she fits quite well in the bigger scheme of things. And there is this trademark Dibakar Banerjee dark humour in couple of scenes (esp that one scene towards the climax of the movie) which bring a smile in an otherwise dark movie. That darkness is further accentuated by some hard rock soundtrack by Sneha Khalwalkar. Overall, its a good movie and should be watched, more so if you are DB fan. Having said that, I still miss Dibakar Banerjee's style of humour of Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky and wish he returns to that genre soon. PS: The Sherlock Vs Moriarty inspired treatment towards the end means there is small scope of sequel as well

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6. SA

   Saheb AbdullahMay 2016

   6/10

   A Worthy Watch Especially For Dibakar's Vision And Shushant's Acting If Not For Others.It Begins Slow And Remains Slow For Sometimes But As The Mystery & Thrill Begins It Becomes Interesting.I Loved Last 10odd Mins.Waiting For It's Sequel, Which Should Be Better

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7. SH

   Shashwat SisodiaSept 2019

   7/10

   Dibakar Bannerjee returns to the screens, and the results are smashingly effective. The crime drama noir detective Byomkesh Bakshy has made his Hindi movie debut, and believe me, what an exhilarating experience it is! The film starts from its roots. Bakshy is making his debut as a detective. He is seen jumping, walking through the streets in questionable disguise, and throughout the mysterious strolls of his, throughout his disrobing of the complications, the film admirably gets the pulp fiction genre of it right. But the film, performative sorts and figuratively struggles to keep pace with Saradindu Bandopadhyay's original, with narrative strands which don't quite pull off seamlessly. But Sushant Singh Rajput is quite a saving grace as Byomkesh, his absurd looks matching his unconventional performance. But the film merely manages to keep pace as a display of its filmmaker's abilities. Bannerjee has effectively stages the notions of moral ambiguity and fatalism of the gore. But with another crew, the film could have been so much more other than a superb visual framework for a detective thriller. Believe me, the film is slick and unpredictable, but it had room for much more. It's merely 3 out of 5 for the film, one being for Saradindu's eighty-four yer old story making its additional half star. But for Sushant Singh Rajput and Dibakar Bannerjee's near-perfect chemistry, its an additional star which makes it a recommendable 3.5 out of 5 for 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!'. I guess walking with no expectations is the best manner to enjoy the film.

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