Detective Byomkesh Bakshy

Dear Dibakar Banerjee,

Directors like you have revolutionized Hindi Cinema with films like Khosla ka Ghosla, LSD, Oye Lucky and even Shanghai, but now with Byomkesh Bakshy you get too smart for your own good. 

The film revolves around a Young Sherlock, who can take umpteen amount of Cinematic Liberty by acting Dumb. He is entrusted on finding his sidekick's father, who has made a mysterious drug which might bring down the entire city of Calcutta and forfeit it to the Japanese during World War 2.

Firstly, the film is wrongly promoted as a suspense thriller, when there is no suspense in the film. You know the villain by the interval phase. Then, the film starts taking doses of cinematic liberty like an I-pill. Why does our hero trust all the negative people ? There is too much of coincidence and convenience in the film. Why would the villain come back twice to meet Byomkesh when he has everything set for him ? Also, the film is too smart for a normal spoon feeding Indian viewer, many people were looking for answers in the theater during the film, which they realized in the climax. The film's suspense builds up like a ejaculation right till the end but then, it doesn't cum at all.

But, Byomkesh is one of the most stylish films ever made in recent times. The details of the pre-independence era is painstakingly put together. Rite from the opening titles where the director gives you hints about the film in the foreground by keeping the actor out of focus in the background. The Cinematography of the film is brilliant and the action scenes are breathtaking. You are transported to that era, thanks to the awesome art direction and production crew. The film even though has loop holes keeps you interested in the theater but is heavy on the brain and you come out scrambling for a Saridon, because you have used a lot of brain cells.

Sushant Singh Rajput excels in the lead. Neeraj Kabi as the Doctor is brilliant. Watch out for this actor. Anand Tiwari as the sidekick is awesome. Swastika Mukherjee as the Femme Fatale is sexy and beautiful. 

Overall, Detective Byomkesh Bakshi, is an one time watch because of the smart direction and the overall look. It would have been brilliant if the film would have been marketed as the Indian version of 'North by Northwest' about a Desi Conspiracy rather than a suspense mystery thriller. It's all style, but a little more substance would have been great.

Rating: **half