Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!
I'll get straight to the point. I am a Bengali and I don't have any problem with one of the best crafted characters from literature, not just detective fiction, being played by a non-Bengali. Nor do I have any problem with using action in a Byomkesh film while alternative rock plays in the background. I also don't mind the film not showing the famine of '43 that marks a dark period in the history of Bengal. Why? I'll explain soon.
The film, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is not a page-to-page cinematic rendition of any particular Byomkesh story written by Saradindu Bandopadhyay. It's an original story that takes elements from different Byomkesh stories of Saradindu Bandopadhyay. Yes, that's a bold step and the director has taken it gracefully. Here, when we first see Byomkesh, he is frustrated for not having something to investigate. Yes, he is missing the thrill of getting to the truth, fishing out the culprit from the sea of suspects. He's bored of the dull life that he's having to lead. He's irked by the dumbness, the predictability of the people around him. That's the Byomkesh, that's the detective that no other director in recent times has been able to portray, be it on the big screen or the small screen. Somehow, everyone portrays him as mildly aggressive, content and complacent. The last "good" (read true to the original) portrayal of Byomkesh was by Rajit Kapoor in the early '90s TV show. That was a Hindi show, this is a Hindi movie. Somehow, these are the only two renditions that have been able to portray Byomkesh in a manner that's true to the original character. This says something about the state of Bengali cinema and TV of today. Some would argue that there isn't as much budget in the Bengali film and television industry as there is in Bollywood. Absolutely true. But, budget is not the factor here. Talent is. To act well, you don't need budget. You need talent. You need to understand how the character will behave, why and when. You need to not be full of yourself and "see" the way the character has been written and incorporate that in your acting. Also, your acting shouldn't seem like acting at all.
The film is set in 1943 Calcutta. The Calcutta that we see is just like the Calcutta that we have seen in (no, not the other Byomkesh movies and TV shows in Bengali) old photographs. It's just like the city we had imagined when reading fiction set in that era. We haven't been shown the famine because, it is after all, a mystery thriller. Showing the famine would completely shift the audience's focus from the mystery to the countless famished people who roamed the streets of the colonial city, asking for "bhaater maarh" (the starch from cooked rice) and leftovers. It would make the mystery seem totally inconsequential against the great disaster. Can you care about anything else when there's a famine around?
The Byomkesh we see in this movie is young. He is new to investigating crimes. He hasn't yet been seasoned by the dark, wicked world of crime and criminals. That's why he makes mistakes, overlooks clues and misses details that are important for the solving of the mystery. He is sometimes clueless, especially when he is faced by a femme fatale, deplorably played by Swastika Mukherjee. I am still questioning the logic behind casting her for the role. But then again, I question the logic whenever she is cast in any role. Any film is better off without her. And that includes films that are still in the concept stage. If there is something really bad about this film, it's Swastika Mukherjee.
Sushant Singh Rajput has delivered a solid, convincing performance as the titular character. So has Anand Tiwari, who played Ajit. The performances of all the other actors were good, even the young Aryann Bhowmik, whom we had earlier seen delivering a pretty substandard performance in Mishor Rohoshyo - a movie about another legendary Bengali detective Kakababu. Don't get me started on that.
The villain of the film is probably the strongest thing about the film. He is menacing, soulless and is ready to go to any length to get what he wants. He's got nothing to lose. Perhaps that's why he is such an amazing villain. After all, who is more dangerous than someone who has nothing to lose? I personally have loved his performance because he, through his performance, made me fear him.
Also worthy of mention is Satyavati. Divya Menon portrays Satyavati's strength of character beautifully. Thanks to Dibakar Banerjee for keeping Satyavati's character's fundamental element intact.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is a thoroughly entertaining watch. The film never pretended to be an exact copy of what's been written by Saradindu and kudos to the director for pulling an original story off so nicely. It has a noir look and feel throughout its run and that makes it an even more enjoyable crime thriller. There are several fighting sequences, all of them coupled with alternative rock background music. That's kinda awesome if you ask me.
Many are complaining about the story being changed, elements being twisted. I was just wondering, wasn't the same thing done in Mishor Rohoshyo by bringing in a girlfriend of Santu and making Kakababu offering relationship advice to Santu? Also, making Kakababu a very talkative person when he actually talks little in the books? What's your view on that? Or is it the fact that since that movie was made by a Tollywood director, those things can be forgiven/forgotten but the changes in this movie can't because Dibakar Banerjee is a Bollywood director?
I'll be looking forward to a sequel and it becoming a full-fledged franchise. There's a real dearth of good detective movies these days and DBB can fill that gap.
I'll get straight to the point. I am a Bengali and I don't have any problem with one of the best crafted characters from literature, not just detective fiction, being played by a non-Bengali. Nor do I have any problem with using action in a Byomkesh film while alternative rock plays in the background. I also don't mind the film not showing the famine of '43 that marks a dark period in the history of Bengal. Why? I'll explain soon.
The film, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is not a page-to-page cinematic rendition of any particular Byomkesh story written by Saradindu Bandopadhyay. It's an original story that takes elements from different Byomkesh stories of Saradindu Bandopadhyay. Yes, that's a bold step and the director has taken it gracefully. Here, when we first see Byomkesh, he is frustrated for not having something to investigate. Yes, he is missing the thrill of getting to the truth, fishing out the culprit from the sea of suspects. He's bored of the dull life that he's having to lead. He's irked by the dumbness, the predictability of the people around him. That's the Byomkesh, that's the detective that no other director in recent times has been able to portray, be it on the big screen or the small screen. Somehow, everyone portrays him as mildly aggressive, content and complacent. The last "good" (read true to the original) portrayal of Byomkesh was by Rajit Kapoor in the early '90s TV show. That was a Hindi show, this is a Hindi movie. Somehow, these are the only two renditions that have been able to portray Byomkesh in a manner that's true to the original character. This says something about the state of Bengali cinema and TV of today. Some would argue that there isn't as much budget in the Bengali film and television industry as there is in Bollywood. Absolutely true. But, budget is not the factor here. Talent is. To act well, you don't need budget. You need talent. You need to understand how the character will behave, why and when. You need to not be full of yourself and "see" the way the character has been written and incorporate that in your acting. Also, your acting shouldn't seem like acting at all.
The film is set in 1943 Calcutta. The Calcutta that we see is just like the Calcutta that we have seen in (no, not the other Byomkesh movies and TV shows in Bengali) old photographs. It's just like the city we had imagined when reading fiction set in that era. We haven't been shown the famine because, it is after all, a mystery thriller. Showing the famine would completely shift the audience's focus from the mystery to the countless famished people who roamed the streets of the colonial city, asking for "bhaater maarh" (the starch from cooked rice) and leftovers. It would make the mystery seem totally inconsequential against the great disaster. Can you care about anything else when there's a famine around?
The Byomkesh we see in this movie is young. He is new to investigating crimes. He hasn't yet been seasoned by the dark, wicked world of crime and criminals. That's why he makes mistakes, overlooks clues and misses details that are important for the solving of the mystery. He is sometimes clueless, especially when he is faced by a femme fatale, deplorably played by Swastika Mukherjee. I am still questioning the logic behind casting her for the role. But then again, I question the logic whenever she is cast in any role. Any film is better off without her. And that includes films that are still in the concept stage. If there is something really bad about this film, it's Swastika Mukherjee.
Sushant Singh Rajput has delivered a solid, convincing performance as the titular character. So has Anand Tiwari, who played Ajit. The performances of all the other actors were good, even the young Aryann Bhowmik, whom we had earlier seen delivering a pretty substandard performance in Mishor Rohoshyo - a movie about another legendary Bengali detective Kakababu. Don't get me started on that.
The villain of the film is probably the strongest thing about the film. He is menacing, soulless and is ready to go to any length to get what he wants. He's got nothing to lose. Perhaps that's why he is such an amazing villain. After all, who is more dangerous than someone who has nothing to lose? I personally have loved his performance because he, through his performance, made me fear him.
Also worthy of mention is Satyavati. Divya Menon portrays Satyavati's strength of character beautifully. Thanks to Dibakar Banerjee for keeping Satyavati's character's fundamental element intact.
Many are complaining about the story being changed, elements being twisted. I was just wondering, wasn't the same thing done in Mishor Rohoshyo by bringing in a girlfriend of Santu and making Kakababu offering relationship advice to Santu? Also, making Kakababu a very talkative person when he actually talks little in the books? What's your view on that? Or is it the fact that since that movie was made by a Tollywood director, those things can be forgiven/forgotten but the changes in this movie can't because Dibakar Banerjee is a Bollywood director?
I'll be looking forward to a sequel and it becoming a full-fledged franchise. There's a real dearth of good detective movies these days and DBB can fill that gap.
