Premise
Calcutta, 1942. The British have a solid grip on everything. The Japanese are looking to take over after their triumph in Burma. The Chinese are growing in confidence with their unending Opium trade. The Bengalis on the other hand… are caught in the crossfire. Amidst everything going around, an amateur detective, Byomkesh Bakshy, is asked to help find a missing father. What initially seems as an open-ended case, soon spirals into something far more sinister, with ultimately the fate of Calcutta, and eventually the whole of British occupied India, on the brink of chaos.
Overview
Release – 3 April, 2015
Runtime – 139 minutes
Genre – Action/Mystery/Period Drama/Thriller
Review
NO Spoilers
Byomkesh Bakshi. One of India’s most popular fictional detectives. Created by the famous Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, the Bengali detective became an instant hit among the masses.
Another name in that bracket includes that of Feluda, aka Pradosh Chandra Mitter. Created by yet another famous Bengali personality of Satyajit Ray, this Bengali fictional detective was superbly received by audiences as well. With the release of its first ever animated movie made on the character, titled ‘Feluda: The Kathmandu Caper’ (2011), the legacy of this titular sleuth keeps on growing (hoping that it continues to do so. I’m a huge fan, having read all the works myself!).
Moving back to Byomkesh Bakshi, he’s as popular and beloved by Indians throughout, with a legacy similar to that of his fellow Bengali private investigator mentioned above. When this movie was first announced, I was genuinely excited. With the late Sushant Singh Rajput portraying the ‘Satyanweshi’ (meaning truth-seeker) himself, along with a great premise, and the trailer absolutely upping all the hype, I just couldn’t wait to see it on the big screens. And guess what? I went ahead and did just that… with my friends too!
Here’s what it’s all about –
It’s November 1942 and World War II is in full force. The Japanese forces near Burma are planning to attack Calcutta any minute, hoping to take over the British occupied India. The Chinese are operating an Opium ring in the city through ‘Green Gang’, who are recently upset about one of their shipments being attacked by a lone, mysterious man feared by all – ‘Yang Guan’; they plot a revenge mission to take him down once and for all.
A few months later, in 1943, a young Byomkesh Bakshy (Sushant Singh Rajput) [changed Bakshi to Bakshy by the makers] is approached by a very distressed Ajit Kumar Banerjee (Anand Tiwari), whose father is missing since the past 2 months. Byomkesh (aged 24 years and 2 months; has a unibrow; loves smoking a cigarette; doesn’t eat a paan) finally agrees to look into the matter. The duo eventually ends up staying at the same lodging where Ajit’s father was housed, managed by a physician – Dr. Anukul Guha (Neeraj Kabi).
While searching through the city, the duo is slowly engulfed in a much bigger, and deadly conspiracy which threatens to engulf everyone. With time running out, new enemies constantly hunting them down, and the bodies piling up thanks to the mysterious man, Byomkesh and Ajit must act fast and prevent a certain calamity from hitting the city, and the country as a whole… should they fail.
As the movie progresses, new characters, both friends and foes, are introduced, with certain sub plots behind each of them, finally connecting to the main plot towards the end.
What was really impressive?
- Firstly, the whole atmosphere/ambience of the 1942 Calcutta was absolutely brilliantly shown. I just can’t get over it! It genuinely felt as if I was present there. The sets were amazing, and the scenes very well executed. Full marks on this one!
- The BGM/soundtrack was excellent!
- The lodging house scenes are very well shown too.
- The characters are superbly portrayed by everyone really; very good acting altogether.
- Japanese and Chinese populace shown (as was the case back then), with in-built subtitles present for the same.
- The opening credits were very well done.
- As were the post credits too, showing the follow up of the end.
What was disappointing?
- Right. So, there’s a HUGE spoiler at the very start of the movie! The antagonist’s face can be seen for a split second! I had missed it at the theatres because it was dark, but while re-watching it, I could clearly see it! That’s really a poor mistake in my opinion.
- The editing was a bit off at places too.
Some quotes/dialogues
“Sach ke aas paas wala jhoot pakadana mushkil hota hai.” [The lies surrounding the truth are difficult to find]
The main villain
“Bakshy Babu… sach ka rang dekha hai? laal.” [Bakshy Babu… see the colour of truth? Red (for blood)]
The main villain, again
Final thoughts
Honestly, I well and truly, whole-heartedly enjoyed it! It definitely has some flaws to it, but overall, I was very impressed by the acting, the direction, the cinematography, the soundtrack, and the plot. And although it was a box-office bomb/failure, and barely managed to make what had been spent on the budget, I think it was a very well executed project. Unfortunately, the movie couldn’t bag any awards, which I feel was really unlucky. There was a plan for a potential sequel, and even a franchise based on the detective, but due to the sad passing away of Sushant Singh Rajput, the idea was shelved. I would have loved to see more of the characters, and the story in general for sure.
Rating: – 9.5/10 (Must watch!)
