Durgo Rawhoshyo Review: Starring Anirban Bhattacharya, Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, Sohini Sarkar, Chandan Sen, Biplab Chatterjee, Debesh Roychowdhury, Debraj Bhattacharya, Anusha Viswanathan and others, this detective-mystery series, with 6 episodes, is directed by Srijit Mukherji and is based on Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s 1952 novel দুর্গরহস্য.
Durgo Rawhoshyo Plot
When the members of a family with a hidden treasure to their name start to die one after another in surprising ways, Shotyaneshi Byomkesh Bakshi is called to investigate and find out the truth. However, he and his trusty friend Ajit find out quickly that things are more complicated than they seemed at first, and he needs to stay extra vigilant so as not to fall victim to a greedy family’s dirty politics and dangerous games.
– Durgo Rawhoshyo Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
Durgo Rawhoshyo Review
2023 is probably the year of Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s Durgo Rahasya adaptations, with Dev, Rukmini Maitra and Ambarish Bhattacharya playing the well-liked characters in Byomkesh O Durgo Rahasya (directed by Birsa Dasgupta). Srijit Mukherji comes out with these 6 episodes of adventure, mystery and humour in another adaptation featuring Bandyopadhyay’s famed detective.
Putting so many words into a series is always a difficult feat to achieve. But even with 6 30-minute episodes, Durgo Rawhoshyo is a fun watch, and people with a keen eye for the mysterious might be able to figure out who the real culprit is from the first episode. However, even if you’re able to figure out the answer, you’ll still enjoy watching the clues come up slowly and steadily.
Although this rendition of Durgo Rawhosyo isn’t a masterpiece, fans of the genre and those wanting to watch something light and wholesome with a hint of mystery will be able to find entertainment just right. There are moments wherein you are left genuinely wondering who could be murdering people, and with a family full of greedy and power-hungry degenerates, it’s a recipe for success. As mentioned earlier, reading the story would probably be a better-suited endeavour, but there’s something very genuine about the series that keeps you watching.
I think the biggest shoutout goes to the actors; Anirban Bhattacharya, Rahul Arunoday Banerjee and Sohini Sarkar have great chemistry together, and whether it be the more serious moments or the light-hearted ones, you’d enjoy watching them interact with each other throughout the runtime. Bhattacharya has a fun gleam in his eyes as Bakshi and balances his smart and fun side well. You’d like watching him as this character more than you’d expect, although he isn’t embodying him for the first time, of course.
Sohini Sarkar and Rahul Banerjee play the two other protagonists with the famed detective, and I must say that Sarkar’s chemistry with Bhattacharya is excellent in this series. Every moment that they spend together, whether it be fighting or sharing moments of tenderness, is very sweet to watch. Banerjee, on the other hand, is a humorous Ajit, and you relate to his character quite a bit as he helps his friend uncover a dark truth.
Other than that, the CGI is atrocious, and the reason behind having it on the show is lost on me. The scene with the snake is an unnecessary addition to showcase Bakshi’s prowess, which viewers already know of, considering he’s a well-known figure. The CGI just makes it worse. The infant in the last episode can be easily seen as a fake baby with its porcelain skin and very distinctively odd eyebrows (or something).
Coming back to the storyline, Durgo Rawhoshyo offers some good twists and turns, which, although we have seen many times in other shows these days, is a fun watch considering the context of the series. Thankfully, the series itself doesn’t give away who the antagonist is or even hint at the twists from the first minute, so even if you find yourself untangling the knots from the first minute, the series’ efforts don’t go completely in vain.
The other characters are interesting as well, with some mystery to their personalities. Although they don’t offer too much insight or thought at any point, some of their secrets make for a fun discussion about morality and keeping secrets even at the detriment of the other person. That being said, this isn’t some out-of-the-world mystery-thriller series. If you want something gripping and edge-of-your-seat, this isn’t the one for you because it’s not trying to be that. However, if you want to have a good time with your family, this might just be the perfect watch.
Durgo Rawhoshyo Review: Final Thoughts
Fans of Bhattacharya might just find themselves holding on to this one for a little longer, considering this is his last outing as the truth-seeking detective. And as such, it’s an entertainer for sure – just not the edge-of-your-seat type by any means.
Durgo Rawhoshyo is streaming on Hoichoi.
Also Read: Byomkesh o Pinjrapol Review: Byomkesh Bakshi is Back For a Whodunit
Strongly disagree with the review. Acting has been melodramatic, full of anachronistic vocabulary, dialogues have been atrocious. Location is scenic but landscape is certainly not of Jharkhand. The casualties list of good actors is long, Rahul, Sohini, Anirban, Debesh Roychodhury, especially Rahul. The character of Ajit is a far cry from what created by Sharadindu. It is a murder story alright, murder of a classic. The movie is by Srijit, Sharadindu has nothing to do with it.