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.
Directed 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.
A 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.
The 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.