As Detective Sherdil said, “It’s a classic whodunnit”. Diljit Dosanjh is back on our small screens in a murder mystery starring Diana Penty, Ratna Pathak Shah, Boman Irani, Chunky Panday, Sumit Vyas and Banita Sandhu. Directed by Ravi Chhabariya, the film is now streaming on Zee5, and here’s a quick review of another whodunnit that runs for approximately 1 hour and 46 minutes. Since it’s a murder mystery, whether the film’s plot and performances keep us hooked throughout becomes the basic necessity for it to be worth our time, and does it ace that? Keep reading!
Plot
This short and simple film starts with an introduction to Diljit Dosanjh’s character, Detective Sherdil, by Diljit himself. He is a star detective who solves cases before time and then treats himself with a short vacation. However, it’s different this time. Detective Sherdil comes across a twisted case that involves the murder of a Budapest business tycoon, Pankaj Bhatti (Boman Irani), and the entire family is a suspect. Pankaj’s wife (Ratna Pathak Shah), son (Sumit Vyas), daughter (Banita Sandhu), her boyfriend and a friend (Chunky Panday). Sherdil has a small team of two officers. Natasha (Diana Penty) is also on this team. The case gradually unfolds with various layers of mystery, deception and lies. The first suspect is the daughter’s boyfriend, but well, it’s never that easy. Detective Sherdil’s smart and quick-witted brain solves the case in no time, along with the team’s help, of course!
Now The Breakdown!
Detective Sherdil is not a Sherlock Holmes standard whodunnit, and honestly, it does not aspire to be one. However, one would still expect a keep on the edge of a murder mystery with interesting characters, when there are so many of them. But Detective Sherdil boils down to being a very average whodunnit that only sparked my interest in some moments. There are many twists in this film; however, not every twist evokes, ‘oh, wow, that was nice’ feeling from you because it can mostly be predictable. The movie also engages with a dysfunctional family and how money can overpower any kind of relationship. Although the ending, though a bit too stretched, is just trying to make the case look very tricky, it is oddly interesting. A few deceptions in the climax hit a little, and the elements come together for a harmonious ending. The film is inconsistent in making sure that you aren’t feeling bored!
Diljit Dosanjh’s Detective Sherdil came with his background score, and his signature move was playing harmonica, and casually unstrangling twisted cases. He is a not-so-serious detective who finds drama and fun even in the serious moments. The actor seamlessly blends in this character and brings his charm to it, but is Detective Sherdil a long-lasting, impactful detective character on our list? Not really!
Diana Penty’s Natasha is not a stand-out character in the film and just blends along with the storyline. However, the actor has displayed a decent performance.
Boman Irani’s Pankaj Bhatti is a soft-hearted, focused businessman who loves his deaf and mute daughter (Banita Sandhu) immensely. The actor delivers this performance in all its honesty, and that’s about it. Ratna Pathak Shah, the rich, ex-lawyer wife of Pankaj Bhatti, is again flawless, but there are not many interesting quirks of the character that demand our attention. Banita Sandhu’s on-point expressions have to be applauded. Chunky Panday has a brief but pivotal role in the film and is quite decent too! Detective Sherdil does not have any substance if you look closely, or not.
Also Read: Exclusive: Diana Penty On Working With Diljit Dosanjh, “He Makes You Feel Safe…”
Detective Sherdil’s average whodunnit plot is still digestible a little, but the film lacks big time in providing strong characters. There is a lack of creativity that’s quite evident in the writing of this murder mystery, which could potentially be a good one.
Their director uses an interesting storytelling format to engage the audience and add a bit of a comic-relief to it. But that works only occasionally. Some dialogues of Diljit Dosanjh’s character with pop-cultural references are nice.
Also Read: Neeyat Review: Vidya Balan Led Whodunnit Gets Its Knives Out, But They Are Frustratingly Blunt
Verdict
Diljit Dosanjh starrer Detective Sherdil is nothing more than a middling murder mystery that will occasionally demand your attention. The performances are good but forgettable, and the film will not leave you with afterthoughts or takeaways. The climax is better than the entire film. Now, decide! The film is streaming on Zee5.