Detective Sherdil Review: A Spoofy Attempt of Changing Whodunnit to Howdunnit

RATING - ⭐ ⭐ 2/5*

Detective Sherdil Review Movie Talkies:

Detective Sherdil is a regular whodunnit thriller, but only in the beginning. Soon, before you can even get involved with the murder mystery, it reveals that it isn’t a whodunnit drama at all, but a howdunnit mystery. After watching thousands of classic murder thrillers, with almost nothing new left to explore, you can't really expect classic twists anymore. These days, either you make everyone a suspect, or build the narrative around how the murder was executed. The suspense around "who is the killer?" has grown dated—so here comes a fresh angle. Detective Sherdil tries this, but in the wrong tone. It goes the spoof route and adopts a comical style, which keeps you away from the seriousness of the murder plot, ultimately hurting the experience.

Detective Sherdil Story:

The story begins with Mr. Sherdil (Diljit Dosanjh), claimed to be the best detective in the force, who takes up the curious murder case of a billionaire, Pankaj Bhatti (Boman Irani). After his sudden death, the will is revealed, awarding most of his wealth to a dog and two outsiders—leaving the family shocked. Sherdil, joined by Natasha (Diana Penty) and his assistant, gets to work. The prime suspect is Purvak (Arjun Tanwar), the mute and deaf lover of Pankaj’s equally mute and deaf daughter, Shanti Bhatti (Banita Sandhu). Everyone points fingers at Purvak, trying to convince Sherdil, but is he really the killer? The answer, of course, is no. So who is the actual culprit?

More than who the killer is, this film is about how it was done. Movie buffs have been second-guessing murder mysteries for decades—some guess right, some wrong—so novelty is lacking. Detective Sherdil tries to bring that novelty, but at what cost? The mystery build-up gets spoiled by childish humour and a spoof-like execution. While Sherdil's dialogues are written cleverly—at least on paper—the overall execution lacks quality. The characters and the environment lack the seriousness that a murder mystery demands, making it difficult to connect. Thankfully, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. With a short runtime and a fast-paced screenplay, you quickly exit this cartoonish setup.

Detective Sherdil Cast:

Diljit Dosanjh enjoys the screen time and plays his part with energy. From a comedy standpoint, he does well, but as a detective, supposedly the best in business, it’s a weak show. Diana Penty looks charming, but her role isn’t meaty enough to make a mark. Boman Irani and Ratna Pathak Shah bring seniority to roles that didn’t need it. Banita Sandhu is strictly average. Chunky Panday remains calm and subtle, while Sumeet Vyas is decent. Sarah Barlondo and Kashmira Irani provide fair support, and the rest of the cast does what's required without much impact.

Detective Sherdil Movie Review:

Clocking a little over 100 minutes, Detective Sherdil doesn’t exactly bore. But technically, there’s not much to praise either. Cinematography and sound design stay average. The mouth organ used by Sherdil to set the mood feels odd and unnecessary. The production design needs no special mention either, as the film is mostly shot in a couple of locations. It’s minimal and simple. Director Ravi Chhabriya should’ve struck a better tonal balance. The sarcasm and humour are overdone, while the actual mystery feels underplayed. Had the mystery been a little stronger and the humour toned down, the film might have worked better. For now, it lands somewhere between a light parody and an animated spoof—far from a gripping whodunnit.

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