Detective Sherdil review: Diljit Dosanjh leads a sleuth story with style, snark, and suspense lite

Detective Sherdil story:

Investigating crimes is more than a profession for Detective Sherdil; it's an art. He has just completed an exciting mission in Budapest to break up a kidnapping ring and is now ready to relax. But he is dragged into a fresh case involving the unexplained demise of a telecom magnate of Indian descent, whose body was discovered on a desolate highway outside of town. An act of hate appears to have motivated the murder. Still, nothing makes sense as Sherdil investigates further. The tycoon's family is devastated, both emotionally and financially, after being held up as an example of perfection. The sufferer openly despises the outsider who inherits everything. There are several contradictions in the account of a contract murderer who confesses. Threads get more entangled the deeper Sherdil travels. Moreover, it appears that the truth is slipping away with each advancement. Sherdil persists in his pursuit of truth, armed with his intelligence, brazen instincts, and sharp mind.

Detective Sherdil review:

Mystery comedy is a fascinating genre, and with Diljit Dosanjh involved, viewers can expect an entertaining experience. Over the years, the actor-performer has balanced his work as a successful actor and singer, which makes him too relevant and unforgettable. Even though he has been a part of big-ticket films, there are also a few niche ones where he shows his acting prowess and becomes memorable in the process. Is Detective Sherdil among those films? Let's find out...

Dosanjh plays the role of a detective named Sherdil, who is overtly smart but doesn't show it. He goes the Pink Panther way, where Inspector Jacques Clouseau is shown as a bumbling police officer, but eventually he is proved to be the greatest detective of all time. In this film, Sherdil adeptly solves cases with ease and maintains a strong belief in work-life balance, as evidenced by his desire to take a vacation after each case. However, this time, his plan is short-lived, as a murder takes place, and it's entirely of his interest, as it's of Indian descent, telecom tycoon Pankaj Bhatti (Boman Irani), who is shot dead in broad daylight. 

ALSO READ: Detective Sherdil: From Diljit Dosanjh to Boman Irani, who plays what in comedy thriller 

In no time, we see that everyone in the film is a suspect, mainly the family members, which include authoritative Rajjo Bhatti (Ratna Pathak Shah), poised and troubled Shanti Bhatti (Banita Sandhu), and an heir who is tormented, Angad Bhatti (Sumeet Vyas). There are other suspects too, including Shanti's boyfriend Purvak (Arjun Talwar) and housemaid Falak (Kashmira Irani).

Yes, these are the supporting cast and also the usual suspects, so where can you expect the film to go, as everyone has their obvious motives to kill a rich man, and of course, money is the primary reason? 

It's a known fact that when there's a mystery film, the unfolding takes up most of the narrative and the detective becomes our eyes as we follow his path to solve it. But here, to be honest, I felt, as a viewer, we were just going ahead of the detective and the case-solving became too obvious and, after a point, a cakewalk. A solo detective is not feasible; we need a supporting character who is portrayed not as a sidekick but as an equal partner. Well, that doesn't happen. Diana Penty portrays a straightforward Natasha, often at odds with Sherdil, yet they form a formidable team. However, her impact gradually diminishes as she struggles to confront Dosanjh, who consistently dominates the screen whenever he appears.

Here, the actor even doubles as a narrator, giving us minutes of what's happening on screen. Dosanjh-Dosanjh everywhere, but not a drop of fun? Not really; the actor seems to have a lot of fun while enacting the role of a detective who, before talking, makes a point to play the mouth organ before a big revelation is made or when he has a breakthrough in the case.

The suspense reveals are so predictable that you can simply relax and let Sherdil handle the deductions of the whodunit. The film makes it clear that the focus is on the crime's methods, not the perpetrator. We know the answer to the why question, so that's not at all important for deductions. To be honest, it becomes slightly lazy work when the suspense is revealed, as the makers didn't try to make any efforts to have a background for the real killer, which is some kind of brain-racking tease.

Ravi Chhabriya makes his directorial debut with this film, and his Instagram page indicates that he creates memes. This is not surprising, as the jokes take the form of memes and include several movie references. One instance is of Boman Irani's character writing something and in the background, Sherdil says that he is using his "Virus" pen to write a cheque, hinting at 3 Idiots. 

The unfortunate reality is that netizens have become better comedians, to the point where they provide filmmakers with jokes on a platter. We blame AI for making writings go without feelings and the same goes for comedy films heavily relying on memes. 

One good thing about Detective Sherdil is its crispness in execution without the distraction of songs. Even the casting is top-notch from Boman Irani and Ratna Pathak Shah, who blend into each of their characters like it's no big deal. On the other hand, Banita Sandhu, playing a speech-impaired person and Sumeet Vyas as a spoilt brat, do support the story well, being the right catalysts. Yes, the casting and performances do take the cake, but the faltering in the screenplay is heavily due to the obvious ways the story goes and I was quite disappointed. 

However, Dosanjh once again saves the day, but the film doesn't serve him any purpose, as the actor has featured in better films even in the same genre and excelled because he knows to do his best.

Detective Sherdil verdict:

Detective Sherdil walks the tightrope between sleuthing and spoofing with swagger, but somewhere along the case trail, the clues become clichés. While Diljit Dosanjh dons the detective’s hat with undeniable charm, the mystery itself is too neatly gift-wrapped to keep you guessing.