Feludar Goyendagiri: Bhuswargo Bhoyonkawr Review: Unmemorable, Mostly

Two years after the first season was released on Bengali streaming platform Hoichoi, Feludar Goyendagiri is back with a second season, this time adapting Satyajit Ray’s short novel Bhuswargo Bhayankar to the small screen. The story follows Feluda, Lalmohan Babu and Topshe as they make their way to Kashmir to enjoy the beauty and hopefully break Jatayu’s writing slump. However, once there, they come across a shocking and intriguing case full of mystery that threatens their very lives and makes them question everything that they believe.

The series has 6 episodes, each with a runtime of around 25 minutes.

Feludar Goyendagiri: Bhuswargo Bhoyonkawr Review

Srijit Mukherji brings to Hoichoi another one of Satyajit Ray’s celebrated works, one that takes our sleuth and his sidekicks to Kashmir. With the natural beauty of Kashmir to take in, there are thrills and mysteries around every corner as well, leaving our tourists to use their “মগজাস্ত্র” and fight against the horrors that are out for their lives.

Just like season 1, Darjeeling Jawmjawmat, Feludar Goyendagiri, Season 2 feels rushed but also oddly sluggish at the same time. The series, based on one of the most loved detective series for Bengalis, somehow can’t grasp the thrill of the storyline that Ray brings to life through his books, engaging in gimmicks and silly humour for far too long and rushing through the interesting parts of its narrative.

Also Read: Feludar Goyendagiri: Darjeeling Jawmjawmat Review: No Thrills For This Thriller

The series layers the touristy feel and the crime thriller aspects and peppers both in for all six episodes. It feels like a drama and a crime-thriller in one, albeit leaning a bit more towards the former. I don’t think that’s a bad thing; in fact, I found it endearing and somewhat even nostalgic. However, the crime thriller aspects falter the most in the series. Drama aside, the series doesn’t do a good job of truly enamouring us with the mystery of it all and for almost half of its runtime, we are left confused about what is happening and why we should be cautious.

People are attacked left and right, but it’s a little confusing to understand why, because the series doesn’t create that tension from the beginning at all. Even with the planchette sequences, it’s so hilariously half-baked and cringy, with Siddheshwar Mallick asking for and getting forgiveness the moment the words leave his mouth, and the supposedly innocent victims rushing to get out the moment the sequence gets over. I know it is supposed to be a side plot of the murder thing, but it’s just inserted into the narrative so nonchalantly that it feels unnecessary and, frankly, stupid.

Also, the series tries its hardest to make its action-packed moments thrilling, but other than some fun beats, there’s hardly anything of note. The disturbing manhandling of Lalmohan Babu’s character continues in this series as well, and at this point, I am losing my will to keep on harping about it. The end twist is good, and it does creep up on viewers, although I will say that since the series doesn’t create the mystery well enough, the revelation remains good, not great. I also liked the little nod to old Feluda movies and shows – it was quite fun.

Tota Roy Choudhury is great as Feluda. I think he’s quite charming and witty, with a twinkling in his eye that makes Feluda such a special character for all Bengalis. Anirban Chakrabarti is fine as Jatayu as well, but the problem with his character remains a sore spot for me. Kalpan Mitra as Topshe is sweet and relatable and has a boyish charm that goes well with his character.

Final Thoughts

Feludar Goyendagiri: Bhuswargo Bhoyonkawr is unmemorable and mostly forgettable. The series has some moments where it tries to set itself apart from others. But the unfortunate thing is that it doesn’t have the wit and charm that make the Feluda series stand out among other detective novels. It simplifies everything to a fault and doesn’t leave anything for viewers to discern. In the end, the Hoichoi series is a one-time watch in my opinion, but nothing more.

Also Read: Feludar Goyendagiri: Royal Bengal Rawhoshyo Review: A Desperate Bid to Find Wit