'Detective Sherdil' review: Diljit Dosanjh's comedy-drama struggles to entertain
What's the story
Detective Sherdil, directed by Ravi Chhabriya, and produced by Ali Abbas Zafar (Sultan, Bharat), is now streaming on ZEE5.
Starring a large ensemble cast stacked with some fine talents, Detective Sherdil wants to be quirky, smart, intelligent, humorous, and thrilling all at once.
However, it struggles greatly in all these aspects and turns out to be an underwhelming, enervating watch, stripped of novelty.
Plot
Can Sherdil solve a complex murder case?
Detective Sherdil (Dosanjh) is entrusted with solving the complex murder case of billionaire Pankaj Bhatti (Boman Irani).
Pankaj's wife Rajeshwari (Ratna Pathak Shah), his son Angad (Sumeet Vyas), and his daughter Shanti's (Banita Sandhu) boyfriend, Purvak (Arjun Tanwar), instantly become the key suspects.
Can Sherdil and his partner, Natasha (Diana Penty), expose the killer before it is too late?
#1
How much exposition is too much?
Detective Sherdil's biggest undoing is the titular character's constant, needless voiceover that pulls you out of the film.
The movie does not trust the viewers enough; it constantly dumbs down every scene, explains every little detail and dialogue, and this technique eventually drives you up the wall.
This exposition doesn't allow the scenes to flow naturally, and the film, then, reeks of artificiality.
#2
You can't take the central character seriously
The makers try to weave a desi Knives Out story, but nothing ever clicks.
The script isn't sure if the eponymous character should be serious and cerebral or goofy and amusing, so Dosanjh awkwardly oscillates between the two spectrums.
Sherdil uses words like "BRB" and "#LifeSucks" in normal, everyday conversations.
Aren't we tired of such showy, outlandish characters in the name of inventiveness?
#3
Where is the fun in this detective drama?
Detective Sherdil could have been enjoyable if at least the central mystery were fascinating, but the film falters even there.
With too many characters (and some seem like an afterthought), the film struggles to build any tension or thrill at any point.
Scenes are awkwardly and haphazardly glued together, and by the time the climax arrives, you couldn't care less about the killer.
#4
Most of its ideas fall apart
Some movies fail because they don't try enough, but Detective Sherdil tumbles because it tries too hard for too long.
It wants to poke fun at the rich and deliver some sort of commentary about classism, but because its foundation is so shaky, its ideas struggle to come together.
It wants to capitalize on Dosanjh's trademark charm, but even that seems amiss here.
#5
What works: Irani is easily the best performer
Coming to the film's appreciable parts, Irani delivers a nuanced performance and lights up every scene.
Even though he has a relatively slim role, he has a dominating presence, and his scenes with Sandhu exude an organic sense of warmth.
Similarly, Pathak Shah plays her role with the kind of panache and flamboyance that only she can!
If only they shared more scenes together.
#6
Dialogues and cinematography work in film's favor
Set and filmed in Budapest, the movie has been shot beautifully, and the color palettes are soothing.
Some scenes also benefit from snappy dialogue.
In one scene, Rajeshwari tells Sherdil that she and Pankaj were married for four decades, but their love died eventually.
"You share the same bed, not as lovers, but as companions," she says, comparing out-of-love couples to siblings forced together.
Verdict
Can skip the film; 2/5 stars
You can sense the film's ambition in some scenes, but it is too all over the place to ever stir you.
Inane, overcooked, and overcrowded, it throws everything at the wall in the hope that something sticks, but nothing really does.
There's hardly any mystery in this thinly-plotted murder mystery, and it digs its own grave by prioritizing style over substance.
2/5 stars.