Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015)

This movie was one of the few instances in my life where I tasted something genuinely superior than my expectations. It was like going back to those fabulous film noirs with ever lasting thirst for mystery. Watching this movie, I realized I just found the jackpot I've always been searching for, a perfect Detective Movie in today's environment which is polluted by the likes of Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes franchise.

40's Calcutta comes alive and in the turmoil of World War 2, but there is another, much darker war is lurking under the shadows, a war filled with ultimate betrayals, politics and may be, at the cost of the country itself. Who will outsmart another in this game of throat cutting foxes, Chinese, Japanese or just an ordinary amateur detective...... you should remember his name, because it's very likely that he'll leave you mesmerized. He's BAKSHY, BYOMKESH BAKSHY.

Fmovies: All of us have seen films from which we expect good things but once the film is over we come out after having seen an average product, happens quite often to me and this film is guilty of it. Detective Byomkesh Bakshi (or as Yashraj Films has forcefully inserted it self in the title with BakshY) does a lot of things right, it hired an excellent director- Dibakar Banerjee and spent a lot of time, effort and money in building the DBB's 1943 Calcutta. My words can do no justice to how beautiful and lively the atmosphere and the setting of the film was, this was the highlight of the film by far, the production values are excellent, a complete standout aspect. DBB also sports excellent acting especially by Neeraj Kabi (who stole the show in Ship of Thesus) and decent acting by Sushant Singh Rajput. I have always considered Sushant Singh Rajput and Anushka Sharma typical 6-7/10 actors, decent, gets the job done, but no where even close to being good and though the boy does his best he doesn't exceed his limits and capabilities. Now I am no Byomkesh Bakshi expert but having seen some handful episodes on TV he was as what us Bengallis describe as "Bhadralok" meaning intelligent, gentlemanly and a scholar, DBB's Bakshy is intelligent but not suave and gentlemanly, he squirms at the sight of sexy women and I don't think even later films will make this right. DBB's Bakshy is more relatable to the common man but isn't as cultured as you'd expect Byomkesh to be.

Now on to the main gripe, the plot, the plot is BAD and it's the worst kind of bad, it's promising and engaging, though I had some minor grievances but the first half of the film was great, and then it turns into a hot mess. Why does a detective story about a missing person have to be so big? It is insulting to the viewer's intelligence that the mystery of a missing person eventually becomes a borderline international war with drugs, Chinese opium smugglers and Japanese Katanas & armies. This is not only not Byomkesh Bakshi but a very badly written film where every loose end of the film is killed off, Person A knows too much, person A turns up dead, Person B knows too much let's drop the poor slugger like a sack of potatoes, while you are at it don't forget to slit Person C's throat. This is not how you write a detective mystery. The climax is bit satisfying to watch but illogical like the rest of the film. Illogical and Byomkesh Bakshi never thought I would be using those words in a single sentence. Further, Dibakar Banerjee doesn't understand that it was cool to bombard us with hard rock almost Rammestein level of music in 1943 Calcutta maybe once or twice but by the 50th time loud jarring music appears on the screen it feels very forced, unorganinc, unnecessary and yes out of place. Still better than an average Hindi movie for example it has almost no action scenes, your protagonist can't swing a punch to save his life showcasing he is a thinker not a fighter and the direction is great too showing some brilliance of Byomkesh but the plot of the film itself is ludicrous. Some research has yielded that there are a few recent Bengalli Byomkesh films which are better and more authentic without being over the top spy thrillers, why not just adapt them to the screen rather than this hot mess? Overall, a decent start to the franchise with excellent world building but ultimately soulless, and needs work.

So watched one hell of a movie today!!Â…It is known as Detective Byomkesh Bakshy.. Dibakar-Sushant,kudos to you both ..U guys have just nailed it.. Awesome,kick ass,chilling,edge of the seat mystery thriller.. Calcutta has never looked so damn gorgeous on screen ever before,brilliant cinematography. The film manages to keep you guessing with the next dialog spoken till the very end of the film,such is the narrative. You just can't afford to divert your mind for a moment or you will lose something significant. Background music specially in the 2nd half of the film is kick ass n supports the film very well. And what can I say about the villain,definitely one of the most menacing I have seen in years now.Now I know why this role was presented to aamir coz it definitely had the potential. I loved the climax too,it is a bit predictable but one you can relish for a long time. I have finished watching this film for about 5hrs now,but still I can't get over it coz this film stays with you. I am going with 4 stars. Definitely the best for me this year!! I will be highly anticipating its sequel whenever it will be announced. If you can focus your mind for 150min.,you will love this

******

As far as box office aspects of DBB are concerned,I doubt it will be a success.The film demands probably too much from your side.People who go to watch mostly light hearted films will come out disappointed.I watched the film in the morning show with only 7 people in the entire theatre!!!

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! fmovies. This was a highly anticipated movie for me. Expectations built up when the trailer was out. Went to the first show and was so happy that the movie is just what i was expecting - A good mystery detective flick with little bit comedy, little bit action and lots of thrill and awesome scenes. Really this is something new for Indian audiences. Dibakar Banerjee has done a great job in recreation of 1942 Culcutta. Back ground music is simply fantastic. These kind of movies are very rare in Bollywood and hence it was an awesome experience. Expect that this will be a big commercial success. A sequel is expected and hope it will come soon. Go for it if you like suspense and dark comedy.

Based on the fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi created by the Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!' is A Blast! Writer-Director Dibakar Banerjee delivers a deliciously twisted thriller, that's grim, dark, complex & yet engrossing. Its a moody period film, that works hugely as a suspense-thriller!

'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!' Synopsis: In a contemporary interpretation of war torn Calcutta during the 1940's, the film follows the first adventure of Byomkesh (Sushant Singh Rajput), 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 slow-burn thriller, that grows on you with each passing scene. The drama unfolds with such detailing & crispness, that I kept going with the narrative more & more. Bakshy's first adventure has moments of pure shock, twists, humor & also betrayal.

Banerjee & Urmi Juvekar's Adapted Screenplay is very well-done. The Writing is super sharp, despite, its slow-pace. The first-hour builds up suspense, while the second-hour offers one intriguing moment after the other. The climax, also, is fabulously done. Banerjee's Direction deserves full marks. He's back in top-form! He's handled the film with utter brilliance. Cinematography captures every moment with flourish. Art Design is extremely well-detailed. Editing is good, but the pace could've been slightly faster. Music & Background Score are excellent.

Performance-Wise: Sushant Singh Rajput as Byomkesh Bakshy, is impressive all through. This is his finest performance to date. Anand Tiwari is fantastic. He contributes so much in the goings-on. Swastika Mukherjee enacts the femme fatale, confidently. Divya Menon is first-rate. Neeraj Kabi is outstanding. He stands out. Meiyang Chang is effective. Arindol Bagchi is adequate.

On the whole, 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!' works big time! Its one helluva thriller! Strongly Recommended!

Wow! Just yesterday, i saw that expensive disaster, fast n furious 7, and my faith in cinema went down a little. but today, with the help of Mr.Byomkesh, brings back the faith and belief. the first half gets a tad slow at times as they are building the characters and the atmosphere, but its Calcutta yo - gotta be slow! the second half though- spectacular - culminating in a crackerjack climax. the atmosphere, the cast, the production, the soundtrack (oh, the soundtrack!!). all brilliant. the Indian sherlock and Moriarty have been established - here's hoping for a resounding success and many more sequels. the lord knows we need good cinema in the times of the khans!!