Har Har Byomkesh

Undeniably the best Byomkesh after a very long time. Cool and composed, this Byomkesh is more intellectual than active. His activity is centred around his investigations rather than intuitions and thus a logical course follows along the entire movie making the thriller an exciting entertainment.
Based on Saradindu's Bahni-Patanga, the original story has been relocated from Patna to Benaras. The place, the naming of the story and the final sequence seems to be a tribute to the master director who had made both renowned Bengali fictional detectives appear in cinemas.
Though there are several changes in the story which doesn't make the basic plot different from the original but two instances could have been kept unchanged. The first disappointment is at the climax whose prolonged run has taken away much of the suspense. The second mistake however could have been easily avoided. While solving the plot it is revealed that one person, except those who took part in the actual crime, knew the truth all along. The question therefore remains as to the cause of the silence but it remains unjustified throughout.
The acting of everybody in the film is superb devoid of any loquaciousness which really makes the whodunit  a classic hopefully. Special mention must be made of Ritwick who blends the character of Lalmohanbabu as well as Topshe with the characteristics of Ajit thus giving rise to novel yet pleasurable relief sequences.

Aabar Byomkesh

http://calcuttatube.com/aabar-byomkesh-2012-bengali-movie-by-anjan-dutta-user-review/169891/

Byomkesh Bakshi

Based on Saradindu Bandyopadhyay's 'Adim Ripu', Anjan Dutta presents the dhoti clad crime buster to the mystery lovers in his premiere endeavour of 'Byomkesh Bakshi'. The mystery interspersed with the racial riots in the Calcutta of the 60's and the viewers glimpsed the atrocities bordering savagery in the name of religion. Though the period is shifted some decades forward than that in the actual story but the mood remains the same. Without going into the details of the story which the Byomkesh fans might know by heart, let me analyse the presentation.
First of all, the casting was excellent though Saswata Chatterjee as Ajit outshone Abir Chatterjee as the sleuth but the latter was also a superb selection. Abir's demeanor was crisp and intelligent though a bit more maturity was due in the character. Swagata Mukherjee's portraiture of Nanibala Das was though different from that in the novel but she superbly played the character in an entirely new dimension. Biswajit Chakraborty as the obstinate and arrogant Anadi Babu maintained the pace of the character with excellence and Kalyan Chatterjee contrasted him well with his characterization of the alcoholic in Keshtababu. Pradip Chakrabarty was fascinatingly perfect in his character of the Hotel owner but the major setback seems to come from Rudraneel, whose meek portrayal of Prabhat was way off his normal self. But surely the best part of the show comes from Chandan Sen as B(n)atul whose appearance itself was a relief though his clever acting never compromised on the importance of the character.
Anjan Dutta's sentiments for Bengal and Calcutta was touching but constant repetition of the synonymous phrases and a more than necessary visual of the riots did not do justice to the emotions. Also each time the protagonists were inside a rioting area, they were curiously unharmed by the insane rioters.
One of the revelations of the film was the composed way music was presented by Neel under the direction of Anjan Dutta that was just appropriately used that went well with the temper that was due to a suspense movie. This restraint, considering that both the father and son are noted for their passion for melody, deserves all the more praise as in today's commercial endeavours, songs are seen to be given priority without caring for its effect in diluting the actual plot.
Now coming to another disappointment in the script of the character Ajit as he more than once proclaims his authorship on the adventures that was never necessary.
The pace of the movie was just correct with the pace set by Arghya Kamal Mitra's editing and the superb art direction of Gautam Basu went hand-in-hand in with Indraneel Mukherjee's excellent cinematography but the ending was rather drab when compared with the rest of this thrilling two hour.
Another very important point that stares hard at the face is the dialect and certain mannerisms that did not do justice to the period that this movie is projected into - Ajit asking Satyabati to 'hold' the telephone line is one such example. Also, Byomkesh and Ajit sharing a cigarette that too produced from pack rather than tin, seems way off the sentiments of the time as well as their respective age.
Barring this the movie is a entertainer and is a must watch for lovers of whodunit with one of the mystery remaining unanswered as to the rational for the crowd of Chatterjees in the production, - is Dutta superstitious about surnames!! just kidding folks.

Saradindu Omnibus Vol II

When I again started to go through the chapters, most of whose plots were still etched upon the memory, this time I was enjoying the play of words, the slight clues strewn here and there and the ultimate convergence that speaks about the crafty penmanship of the author. That I was reading a detective story with the criminals already known did not matter as the literary level of each piece kept me enthralled just with the beauty of narration.

In the introduction by Pratulchandra Gupta titled Byomkesh, Satyabati, Satyabatir Gari, he not only introduces Saradindu's immortal creation to the new readers but also brings the human qualitites of Byomkesh to fore so that the readers, both old and new, can feel his presence in the real world. That Byomkesh is no other than an ordinary citizen of Calcutta blessed with extraordinary intelligence and quick wit is again reminded here.

1. The volume starts with Adim Ripu, and what seemed to Ajit as a very ordinary case quickly turned complex by a sudden murder. When Byomkesh was on the verge of solving the case and it seemed he was not interested in bringing the convict to justice, a second murder changed his mind and the readers await a classic solution.
2. It is not very regular that in the midst of a case Byomkesh is found to be involved in another case but the case Bahnni-Patanga presented itself while he had temporarily stalled his activities concerning Adim Ripu. This is truly a marvelously plotted case and promises a startling revelation that will surely be appreciated to its full extent by crime fiction readers. This case also projects Bikash, an enthusiastic youth, earlier employed in the police service, who helps Byomkesh in trailing his suspects. He features in several other stories and is shown to have respect for the detective.
3. Saradindu had a knack of presenting several peculiar cases for his detective but Rakter Daag seems to hit the top in the way the client requests Byomkesh's assistance. It appeared that the client knew he was going to be murdered and he employs Byomkesh, with fee in advance, to find the truth behind his death. That Byomkesh will be interested is apparent by its peculiarity and though it is not my favourite but it is surely worth appreciating the seemingly realistic imagination that the author was capable of.
4. Manimandan is on the other hand a straight forward case where the criminal, a thief this time, is already suspected but the wherabout of the stolen material required Byomkesh's quick wit and critical observation.
5. In Amriter Mrityu, as Byomkesh was trying to solve a case of illegal arms trade, he parallelly investigates the death of an innocent lad, which he suspected to be closely linked to the illegal trade.
6. Saila Rahasya seemed to be the creator's strong belief in supernaturals imposed in a marvelous fashion in bringing the famous detective face to face with a ghost client. It is an ordinary story narrated in an extraordinary way with the most part being narrated by way of a letter and its reply between Byomkesh and Ajit and thus this was the 1st instance where Byomkesh's literary skills were also revealed.
7. Achin Pakhi defines the level of shrewdness that Byomkesh possessed and his knowledge of human psychology as he solves a previously unsolved mystery years after it had happened.
8. In Kahen Kabi Kalidas, the humane nature of Byomkesh is revealed as he highlights the tragedy that underlines the crime which he investigates.
9. Adrishya Trikon is also about a crime commited in the past but the climax is more of a drama than a reality.
10. The author provides a refreshing change from the violent crimes in Khunji Khunji Nari where Byomkesh applies his brain to solve the riddle left by a dead man that seems to point to his last will and testament.
11. Adwitiya is another classic case where Byomkesh solves the crime sitting at home.
12. In Magna-Mainak, the motives and suspects to a supposed murder seem to be many and Byomkesh must find out the truth to give peace to the innocent minds.
13. The suddent twist in Dushtachakra speaks volume of the author's ingenuity with honours to his detective.
14. H(n)eyalir Chande have Ajit as a suspect with murder at Byomkeshe's apartment and it is all upon the later to save his friend. This is also the last Byomkesh story narrated by Ajit, the rest being written in a passive voice by the author.
15. Apart from the interesting case of Room No. 2, it is a change in writing style with the use of colloquial Bengali.
16. Chalanar Chanda is a fantastic case with a straightforward solution though I got this impression reading it not for the first time.
17. In Sajarur K(n)ata, which is more of a novel than a detective story, the queerness of the murder instrument is the prime interest to the readers.
18. Benisanghar can be termed as the case of a camouflaged murder with all the ingredients of a social drama incorporated that intensifies the mystery. Inspector Rakhal Sarkar, one of the admirers of Byomkesh who appeared in several of the later novels also plays his part well in assisting the detective in time of need.
19. In Lohar Biscuit, maybe the author's wow for a good plot is felt as Byomkesh is clearly happy at the client who brings him a problem after several days of inctivity.
20. The final story Bishupal Badh, is an incomplete one which the author's sad demise has left the readers to speculate on the outcome. It starts with two murders with a span of quite a few years in between. The 1st murderer got the sentence and it was only after his release the 2nd is committed. Byomkesh starts on the trail of the 2nd murder but alas the solution never reaches the audience. As a fan, I can say that the detective would surely have solved it but the chronicles remains incomplete, which is the only sad part.
21. In the final pages of the volume is Jibankatha by Shovan Basu where he has supplied the readers with a brief biography and bibliography of the renowned author.
22. Also there is an article Byomkesher Katha, dedicated to the great detective numerous appearances in Bengali literature that Mr. Basu has compiled.
23. In Byomkesher Shange Sakhatkar, we have the excerpt of an interview of Saradindu by Partha Chattopadhyay.
    

Saradindu Omnibus Vol I

It was with a thrill that I took up this volume as I was trying to find some stimulant to freshen up my damped mood. It was neary a decade that I re-read the stories but as usual it was a pleasant experience.

The content, as all the fans of Byomkesh and the author know by heart, runs as
1. Satyanwesi
2. Pather Kanta
3. Seemanta Heera
4. Makorshar Rash
5. Arthamanartham
6. Chorabali
7. Mrityuban
8. Upasanhar
9. Raktamukhi Neela
10. Byomkesh O Barda
11. Chitrachor
12. Durgarahasya
13. Chiriakhana

The super-sleuth (as Shri Sukumar Sen has aptly termed him in the introduction) of Bengali crime-fiction saw its culmination in Byomkesh Bakshi, the best detective ever created by a Bengali author, in my opinion. The thirteen cases penned by his companion Ajit Bandyopadhyay takes us through some exciting puzzles and murder mysteries that required the super brain of Byomkesh to solve. The author Saradindu Bandyopadhyay has never tried to portray his most famous creation as a superman but Byomkesh has been projected much like an ordinary Bengali guy but with a keen intellect that distinguished him from the others. The Byomkesh stories were woven on the fabric of the Bengali social structure and so never had it lost the realistic touch. Also the author has never compromised to use his literary talents to enrich the text but never for once had he been carried away and left the reader miles from the actual plot. The simpleness of the story telling and the distinctive features of the crimes have made these jewels of both crime fiction and Bengali literature as a whole.