Detective Sherdill review: No mystery in this murder mystery led by Diljit Dosanjh
One know-it-all detective, a murder mystery, a rich family and a fight for inheritance - the plot of 'Detective Sherdil' looks perfect on paper. But when executed, it falls flat in building the mystery. And if you are even any wise, you'll probably crack the case within the first 20 minutes, leaving Dosanjh to merely unravel the 'how' of the whodunnit.advertisementDirected by Ravi Chhabriya, the film is set in Budapest. Boman Irani plays billionaire businessman Pankaj Bhatti, who is brutally murdered in his car on an abandoned road. His family is shocked to discover that Bhatti has left a significant portion of his wealth to his daughter's boyfriend, Purvak (Arjun Tanwar), who has gone missing since Bhatti's death.The family hires a team of detectives to track down Purvak, but as the investigation progresses, more secrets surface and the mystery deepens. The once-innocent-looking characters begin to look suspicious, and the seekers themselves come under scrutiny. One thing, however, remains colossally consistent - Dosanjh's style and wit.
'Detective Sherdil' is not a demanding film. The characters are simple - either confused or overly ambitious - but not complex. There are blank stares, subtle glances, and guilty exchanges of eyes, and you end up predicting who the killer might be. And that's the film's biggest flaw.advertisementA whodunnit begins to lose its appeal the moment you figure out who has done it. In 'Detective Sherdil', Dosanjh's effortless charm and ability to engage with the story can only carry you so far once you've cracked the mystery. The jarring background score, and the film's relentless attempt to force the suspense down your throat further make it harder for you to sit through. You find yourself wanting to skip ahead, just to watch Dosanjh explain how the assassination was carried out."Maza toh problem solve kar ke crime scene par reel banana ka aata hai," Dosanjh's Sherdill says in a scene - and ironically, the reel-bit seems more exciting than the crime itself.Ratna Pathak Shah and Summet Vyas's sincerity do not elevate the story. Banita Sandhu's innocence doesn't fool anyone either. You keep hoping for a twist that you can't predict - one final clever reveal that never comes.Chunky Pandey as Bodhi, a family member who feels more like a modern-day shaman, arrives late in the story and briefly engages your interest. But, neither he nor Dosanjh is enough to hold a film that has a dragging, somewhat boring, mostly predictable narrative together. There's only so much even a star can do when the writing is this limp. Dosanjh's interactions with other characters are breezy but never deep enough to make you emotionally invest in the stakes.advertisementThe screenplay doesn't have the tension and pace essential for a gripping murder mystery. The stakes never feel high enough, and every twist seems telegraphed long before it arrives. Even the flashbacks meant to add intrigue end up feeling like fillers - convenient explanations rather than genuine revelations. In the absence of any suspense or originality, 'Detective Sherdil' plays out like a long episode of 'Crime Petrol' - just less thrilling. While Sherdill tries his best to keep you invested, the film itself doesn't seem clever enough to make the entire journey worthwhile.'Detective Sherdil' is currently streaming on Zee5.
IN THIS STORY#Diljit Singh Dosanjh
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Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ravi Chhabriya opens up on debut film Detective Sherdil, Bond with ‘cuteheart' Diljit Dosanjh and Knives Out comparisons
Filmmaker Ravi Chhabriya recently made his directorial debut with the comedy-mystery Detective Sherdil, featuring an ensemble cast including Diljit Dosanjh, Boman Irani, Diana Penty, and Chunky Panday. Released on ZEE5 on June 20, the film has received a mixed response from viewers. (Also Read: Detective Sherdil trailer: Diljit Dosanjh channels inner Sherlock in this whodunnit, fans call it desi Knives Out) Ravi Chhabriya talked about working with Diljit Dosanjh in debut film Detective Sherdil. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Chhabriya opened up about stepping into direction with Detective Sherdil, his experience working with Diljit Dosanjh, and addressed the comparisons being drawn between his film and the popular Hollywood whodunnit Knives Out. Ravi reveals what made him choose Detective Sherdil has his directorial debut and said, "There are so many whodunnuit's that has happened here and in the West but I felt, we have all grown up watching Gupt, Byomkesh Bakshi, kind of films, so many great whoddunuit that happened here, so I wanted to make a very great and entertaining detective film which I thought was not happening for a long time. Me and Ali had a very good script we were playing on and so we decided to make something differently." Ravi further revealed if he was nervous about his debut and said, "Every day is a test, whether it's 1st film or the 10th film. The anxiety and nervousness is always there. If the surroundings is not giving you a test, you might give yourself a test. But it's just about being focused. If you are focused enough and believe in yourself, that's enough. You should always go with your gut. So I am all about instincts. So I was very happy and looking forward to it. The kind of prep that happened between the actors and me, I just knew that I had to just put the camera and start shooting. So it was more excitement than nervousness." Ravi Chhabriya on working with Diljit Dosanjh Talking about working with Diljit Dosanjh, Ravi said, "Diljit paaji is such a humble person. Not for a single minute he made me feel a pressure of kind. He was so easy and good on set. He used to be all giving. There was zero pressure from him. I call him cuteheart. He is very cute. We had a relationship that he could come and tell me something after the shot and I could do it too. The way we shot the film was very quick. We made the film in less than 32 days. I don't think anybody can execute a film like this if there's no relationship with the cast." During an episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show, Imtiaz Ali revealed that Shah Rukh Khan told him Diljit is the best actor in the country. Ravi agreed to it and said, "It's plus triple one on that. Paaji is outstanding as an actor. I used to tell him on set that you are such a good actor. I am very shy as a person and he is also very shy so we could understand each other. Instinctively, it used to come to me naturally to go after a take and tell him that you are such a good actor and he used to be shy about it. He would just smile and say thank you. That's what makes him great, that he is so real. For the world he is a global star but he is such a humble and real person and it also translates on screen." Ravi Chhabriya on Detective Sherdil's comparison to Knives Out When asked if he took inspiration from Knives Out, Ravi said, "Actually not at all, we were writing it way before and I don't even vaguely remember when we all watched Knives Out. But to be honest, Knives Out is a great film, and every film is a piece of art, so if one art is being compared to a greater art, it's kind of a compliment. And the moment everyone watches the film, they'll realise how different we are from Knives Out. It's very different." He concluded, "It's my baby. Films are like your own children and everybody's child is different. Our baby is different because they way I have edited, to create a balance so that the younger audience also like it. So I have tried to cut the film in a way that it hooks the audience and also give you the soul of the film. I would say the treatement is new."
Indian Express
14 hours ago
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What to watch on OTT: The Great Indian Kapil Show S3, We Were Liars S1
What to watch on OTT The Great Indian Kapil Show S3 with Salma Khan on it's opening episode to Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Detective Sherdil, here's a latest watchlist on OTT. The Great Indian Kapil Show S3 (Netflix) The Indian Kapil Show is returning with its third season and will have Salman Khan as a guest on its premiere episode which will air on Saturday (June 21). This season will have both Navjot Singh Sidhu and Archana Puran Singh on the couch. Detective Sherdil (Zee5) Diljit Dosanjh-starrer is scheduled to stream from June 20. The Hindi-language mystery comedy tells the tale of a unique detective tasked with solving a case that is far from ordinary. Ace (Prime Video) This Tamil-language film stars Vijay Sethupathi. The movie is a taut thriller of reinvention, deceit, and survival. It also features Yogi Babu, Rukmini Vasanth, Rajkumar, Denesh Kumar, Priscilla Nair, R.J. Ramesh and P.L. Thenappan in pivotal roles. Kabul (Lionsgate Play) This gripping drama set in Afghanistan's capital under Taliban rule. It explores the stories of survival and moral dilemmas as the Taliban brutally takes over Kabul. We Were Liars S1 (Prime Video) Based on the best-selling novel by E. Lockhart, the series is about Cadence Sinclair Eastman and her tight-knit inner circle, nicknamed the Liars, during their summer escapades on her grandfather's New England private island. 8 highest paid Hindi TV actors
Hindustan Times
16 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Detective Sherdil review: Who killed the billionaire in this wannabe Knives Out feat. Diljit Dosanjh? Not suspense, that
Detective Sherdil movie review Director: Ravi Chhabriya Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Diana Penty, Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak Shah, Chunky Panday, and Banita Sandhu Star Rating: ★★.5 The bigger mystery than the one explored in Detective Sherdil is why the lead star hasn't promoted the film. There isn't a post on Diljit Dosanjh's Instagram profile in recent times about it, but posts galore about his next theatrical release, Sardaarji 3. Detective Sherdil movie review: Diljit Dosanjh plays the titular investigator in the film. Anyway, coming back to Detective Sherdil, it's a story revolving around a detective who gets involved in a case involving a billionaire's (Boman Irani) murder in broad daylight. Suspects are his family, comprising a wife, brother-in-law, daughter and many more. Detective Sherdil appears to be more intelligent than it really is. A multitude of characters form the cast- Banita Sandhu as Pankaj Bhatti's daughter Shanti, Diana Penty as Natasha, Chunky Panday as Bodhi Mama, Sumeet Vyas and more give it a proper Knives Out setting, and that's also my pet peeve with a host of thriller films- they all inevitably end up looking and feeling the same. Housefull 5- a group of people are investigated for a billionaire's murder aboard a cruise, Vidya Balan's Neeyat in 2023, which was again about- you guessed it right- a billionaire's murder. So then, the only real innovation can happen in the big reveal. The performances Diljit's Detective Sherdil spouts one-liners, comes close to breaking the fourth wall, but there is nothing concrete, really, that he comes up with. If anything, he's an average detective. He comes up with an analysis of what could have happened at the crime scene and with the different suspects, but none of it is convincing enough. And the done-to-death storyline doesn't help either. Sagar Bajaj, Ravi Zafar and Ali Abbas Zafar have been credited for the writing. The runtime is under two hours, so thankfully, it doesn't get stretched. But the plot development is linear, with a lack of shocking twists. Diljit's cool dude energy comes off a bit pretentious at times. Diana, as a no-nonsense detective working with Sherdil, is passable. Boman Irani, as the patriarch, infuses some life into this film. Ratna Pathak Shah, as his cunning wife, is also good. The rest of the cast does their job. Chunky, as Boman's mysterious brother-in-law, makes his presence felt. Overall, Detective Sherdil is a glossy but underwhelming murder mystery that tries to wear a smart hat but forgets to fill it with real wit or suspense.
