Byomkesh O Durgo Rohoshyo review: Dev and his team pass the Byomkesh test

3.5/5

Story: Professor Ishan Chandra Majumder dies of a snake bite at a fort situated under Byomkesh Bakshi’s (Dev) friend Inspector Purandar Pandey’s (Shantilal Mukherjee) jurisdiction. He suspects foul play and calls the sleuth. Byomkesh, along with his friend Ajit Bandyopadhyay (Ambarish Bhattacharya), and his wife – a pregnant Satyabati, goes to investigate. There they meet the owner of the fort Ram Kishore Singha (Rajatava Dutta), his sons, daughter, son-in-law, manager, and other members of the house. They live in a mansion right next to the fort. Has Ishan Chandra been murdered? Is there any other mystery that is buried in the fort or the family? Will Byomkesh be able to unearth the truth?

Review: This is not your usual Byomkesh. The legendary Bengali sleuth has broken the usual tropes that we got used to and turned himself into a hero in this film. With lavish outdoors and fitting BGM, Byomkesh O Durgo Rohoshyo is a visual treat. It has its ups and downs. However, there are two undeniable facts – first, the film is gorgeous to look at, and second, despite all the trolling and conversations, Dev passes the Byomkesh test.

Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s Durgo Rohoshyo is one of the vastest novels in terms of scale, characters, and locations. Set in the rustic land of India, the story is dotted with multiple twisted characters and delves into the mysterious corridors of a gigantic fort. Durgo Rohoshyo fills the heart with its enormity. The film chases and largely captures that vibe. Meanwhile, the director has restructured the original novel to reach out to many more people with his version of Byomkesh Bakshi.

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First thing first, Dev has presented a different kind of Byomkesh – slightly heavier on the action side. His entry is dramatic and engaging. The theme song, Bom Satyanweshi, is a fitting anthem for this Byomkesh. Dev is not perfect as the character. However, he captures the audience’s attention with his sheer effort and even his worst critic will not be able to dismiss this new Byomkesh on the block. Dev has this intense urge to become a better actor every day and his effort shows. His dialect, body language, and expression deserve applause.

Rukmini has captured a pregnant Satyabati’s mood swing delectably. Satyabati is intelligent and at times, overtrumps her husband with a sharp mind. Byomkesh and Satyabati’s exchanges of ideas around the case are heartening to watch. Meanwhile, Dev and Rukmini's chemistry is unputdownable.

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Ambarish is a powerful actor and he presents a more active Ajit in this film. Unlike the tepid representation we have seen otherwise, this Ajit is smarter. So much so that he takes active participation in questioning and unearthing the truth. Ambarish does a good job in adapting the newer and brighter shades of the character.

Satyam Bhattacharya is the new actor to look out for. He leaves no stone unturned to shine right when it is needed, even when the character hides his true colours. He plays Manilal and captures his different layers immaculately. Shantilal and Rajatava are also very convincing in their characters.

The story flows seamlessly with minor deviations from the original plot. While it doesn’t keep the viewers in trepidation like a true-blue thriller or a murder mystery, its build-up, and execution will draw the audience to cinema halls. It follows simple, uncomplicated storytelling. The timeline is simply laid out and that brings a flow in the narration. The sound half is surely more gripping than the first half. The conclusion is slightly different from the book but the drama in the climax steals the show. Diptarko Bose has done a good job with the music.

And DOP Subhankar Bhar deserves a round of applause for capturing this magnificent location of Madhya Pradesh. Ever since the launch of its pre-teaser, the grandeur of the location has been the most crucial conversation among the viewers. He does not let us down. Like all its promotional videos, the film is actually beautiful to look at.

Verdict: Byomkesh O Durgo Rohoshyo is a must-watch. If one can ditch the hang-ups around Byomkesh Bakshi and watches the film, they will enjoy it thoroughly. The film is smartly made so that it attracts not only the typical Byomkesh fans but also those who never read Saradindu Bandyopadhyay in their life. This is a film about two Bengali superstars – Den and Byomkesh Bakshi and both of them come out as winners.