Byomkesh o Pinjrapol (ব্যোমকেশ ও পিঁজরাপোল) is a crime-thriller detective series directed by Sudipto Roy and stars Anirban Bhattacharya, Ridhima Ghosh, Bhaswar Chatterjee, Babu Dutta Roy, Moitree Banerjee, Durbar Sharma, Anuska Chakraborty and others. The series is based on Chiriyakhana by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay.
– Byomkesh o Pinjrapol Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
When a wealthy retired judge taking care of a colony full of people with a mysterious and criminal past starts getting blackmailed and eventually ends up murdered, truth-seeker Byomkesh Bakshi and his partner and best friend Ajit must don the detective hat once more to uncover some very interesting details about the colony’s colourful characters. However, what starts as simple blackmail becomes a web of lies, deceit and secrets that keeps the detective guessing.
There’s something oddly mysterious about Byomkesh o Pinjrapol‘s first episode that really reels you into the story – it’s a combination of how it’s shot and edited that keeps your eyebrow raised and makes you wonder where this story is going with its odd array of characters. There’s something sinister afoot with these people and lets us know that from the first moment in order to keep us hooked for the story to come.
We all know Chiriyakhana – Sharadindu Bandyopadyay’s breathtaking crime-thriller, also adapted by Satyajit Ray in 1967 (along with many others since). In that iteration, the famous ‘সত্যান্বেষী’ (truth seeker, as Byomkesh Bakshi likes to be called) was played by Uttam Kumar. In Hoichoi’s retelling of the story, Anirban Bhattacharya dons the hat of the detective once more, and as he is in almost all of his other works, he plays the role rather well. There’s a hidden humour in Bhattacharya’s eyes that comes out here and there. But, then again, Byomkesh Bakshi is a magnetic character, with wit, charm and humour all going together seamlessly.
Coming to the story, the newest iteration takes some artistic liberties with the storyline, but all in all, for those watching for the first time, it’s going to be a fun, light-hearted ride. Byomkesh O Pinjrapol is thrilling and keeps you guessing, and with the small detours here and there to tell past events and add context, you’ll be able to understand everything and make sense of everything quite well.
That being said, for those of you who love the original story, a rare gem of Bandyopadyay’s rather shining list of thrillers and whodunits, you might be left frustrated with the differences in the storyline from the original. Which, you know, is not the worst quality of an adapted series, but it might just be frustrating regardless. In the end, I think my frustration stems from Satyabati’s wit not shining through and being confided to the kitchen for too long.
There isn’t going to be a time when you won’t question each and every person in the colony. Everyone has a reason, as we get to know constantly throughout the runtime, and the hidden malice in everyone’s eyes can push you to wonder who it could’ve been. As I mentioned above, it’s a light and fun thriller, but it doesn’t leave you at the edge of your seat. Although we don’t get to know the perpetrator till the very end, it still doesn’t get under your skin.
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Which isn’t the worst thing to happen to this thriller, honestly. Watching a light thriller is sometimes better than one that will give you PTSD. In the end, Byomkesh O Pinjrapol leaves us a bit wanting with that ending. It’s just so dramatic and does away with the entire storyline of who is doing what and why and leaves you a bit confused. It’s at this point that the series takes a total detour from the original but doesn’t provide a satisfying ending to the craziness.
Anirban Bhattacharya and Bhaswar Chatterjee share some fun chemistry together as Byomkesh and Ajit. Their banter and the way they work off each other is quite infectious and makes watching this interesting. Byomkesh, of course, is a brilliant detective, but just like Feluda’s bond with Topshe, the storyline would be lost without the two working with each other. Of course, the relationship dynamic is different in this case, but the vibes are more or less the same.
Anuska Chakraborty and Durbar Sharma play their roles quite well, and both are equally mysterious and rather evil. Everyone else in the cast is also quite great.
Byomkesh O Pinjrapol Review: Final Thoughts
Byomkesh O Pinjrapol is a fun watch that doesn’t leave you too stressed. It’s a light-hearted thriller that keeps you adequately invested, and Anirban Bhattacharya is, as usual, quite charming, making this an interesting and fun watch.
Byomkesh O Pinjrapol is streaming on Hoichoi.
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