logo
Diljit Dosanjh's 'Detective Sherdil' movie review: Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak Shah, Banita Sandhu walk away with top honours in a semi-engaging murder mystery

Diljit Dosanjh's 'Detective Sherdil' movie review: Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak Shah, Banita Sandhu walk away with top honours in a semi-engaging murder mystery

First Post19-06-2025
Unlike 'Housefull 5 (A and B)' and '36 China Town', the final twist doesn't feel frivolous. It not only compliments the essence of the story but also exposes the fragility of dysfunctional relationships read more
Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Diana Penty, Boman Irani, Chunky Panday, Banita Sandhu, Ratna Pathak Shah, Sumeet Vyas
Director: Ravi Chhabriya
Language: Hindi
Even before we meet the man who plays Detective Sherdil, in this year's 786th whodunit, a word I shall be using 786 times more before the year ends, we are told how this man played by Diljit Dosanjh was named Sherdil. It's understandable the makers want to combine crime and comedy and dumb the story down. The thought of the memories of Dosanjh's Arjun Patiala coming back send a shiver down your spine. But to give credit, at least the aesthetics are in place as we are right away taken to Budapest where a billionaire Boman Irani is murdered on an empty street. What it also gets right is a solid introductory shot of Ratna Pathak Shah, who plays Irani's wife. If Maya Sarabhai from Sarabhai vs Sarabhai had more attitude and authority, it could be this character. 'A true boss lady' is how Diana Penty describes her.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Some cringe and coincidental moments follow soon as Banita Sandhu of October fame shows up as a deaf and mute daughter of the couple who's called, errr Shanti. There's the severely underinvested Mukesh Bhat (the inimitable actor of Rocket Singh and Gulaal), the driver who's absconding since his master was brutally assassinated (Prem Ratan Dhan Payo anyone?). When all the crucial pieces of the puzzle are laid together, the eponymous character declares in his twang 'This is a classic…. Whodunit.' Okay then! But this very character never allows the film to be edge-of-the-seat as he keeps playing his harmonica and its perpetual tune hams its way to the background score that swells to a crescendo on multiple occasions. Let there be silence for some time dude.
If this blend of two contrasting genres is unable to keep the curiosity alive despite some spurts of engagement, Chunky Panday's typically filmy entry does perk up the proceedings from A to B. Had he smiled a little more, he could very well be the spiritual version of Aakhri Pasta called Aakhri Aastha as he did in Housefull 3.
Bollywood doesn't do comical thrillers well as it gets too confused which box to tick first- To add murder mystery in a comedy or comedy in a murder mystery. That's why the jokes and the jolts both feel ill-timed and misplaced. And that pretentious The End deceit that ruined Neeraj Pandey's forgettable Sikandar Ka Muqaddar last year returns here too.
But the ensemble is too contagious- Diljit Dosanjh, Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak Shah, Sumeet Vyas, Banita Sandhu, and Diana Penty. The outfits that Irani flaunts are absolutely striking. He looks dapper and the effective baritone adds to his intimidating personality that's all worn out and vulnerable inside. Penty brings a certain sense of gravitas to her performance with her no-nonsense attitude. She has been immensely selective about her choices of films after the impressive debut in Cocktail back in 2012. But that also shows how her repertoire is a cocktail of different genres, ranging from comedy to drama to now a whodunnit.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Sandhu added immense gravitas to her vegetative state in the meditative and heartfelt October. Here too, she's handicapped by a disability but makes terrific use of it. And the refined Shah is always a delight to watch. She has a remarkably impressive command over her body language. And once again after Kapoor & Sons, she's trapped in a crumbling marriage that ends with a surprising death.
The story is written by Ali Abbas Zafar along with Sagar Bajaj and Ravi Chhabriya who also directs the film. Post Sultan, Zafar has largely been out of depth except for Jogi, also starring Diljit Dosanjh. It's understandable the two wanted to have fun after an exhausting and emotionally charged collaboration, but the bullet misses the plate. That's not to say it's a washout. Not at all. Whodunnits always turn out to be guilty pleasures.
And unlike Housefull 5 (A and B) and 36 China Town, the final twist doesn't feel frivolous. It not only compliments the essence of the story but also exposes the fragility of dysfunctional relationships and dying emotional dynamics. It also makes up for the lost time of an ensemble of solid actors that needs to be seen more often in movies that judiciously explore its tenacity and talent. But without the harmonica next time please!
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)
Detective Sherdil is now streaming on Zee5
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Saiyaara Box Office Collection Day 8: Ahaan Panday's blockbuster has already beaten Kartik Aaryan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Ranbir Kapoor's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
Saiyaara Box Office Collection Day 8: Ahaan Panday's blockbuster has already beaten Kartik Aaryan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Ranbir Kapoor's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Indian Express

time8 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Saiyaara Box Office Collection Day 8: Ahaan Panday's blockbuster has already beaten Kartik Aaryan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Ranbir Kapoor's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Saiyaara Box Office Collection Day 8: Director Mohit Suri's Saiyaara steps into its second week, all set to pass the Rs 200 crore mark at the box office. Debutante actor Ahaan Panday has announced himself in a grand manner, with his first project outgrossing some of the biggest films of the last few years. According to early estimates by industry tracker Sacnilk, the film earned Rs 17.5 crore net on day 8, taking the total domestic collection to Rs 190.25 crore. At a time when films are struggling to break even, especially the ones starring new faces or debutantes, this kind of performance is unprecedented. After surpassing superstar Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par (164.74 cr), Saiyaara's latest victim is Ajay Devgn's Raid 2 (173 cr). Saiyaara has also overtaken the ensemble comedy Housefull 5 (183 cr), which was filled to the brim with big Bollywood names and had two separate endings. The film saw a bit of a dip in its occupancy rates, with the average of day 8 coming out at 25.6%. The morning and afternoon shows managed rates of 13.69% and 23.58%, while the evening and night shows achieved 25.39% and 39.72%. ALSO READ: Suniel Shetty says Jackie Shroff and Salman Khan are always one phone call away: 'Not because I helped them when they needed, but…' For comparison, Saiyaara has now earned more (net collection) than the lifetime earnings of Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (188 cr), Kartik Aaryan's Bhool Bhulaiya 2 (184 cr), Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, and Priyanka Chopra's Bajirao Mastani (184 cr), Shah Rukh Khan's Raees (164 cr), and Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif's Bang Bang! (174 cr). It's true that times have changed since most of these films came out, but it should also be noted that audiences now have more of an incentive to sit at home and use streaming services rather than go to the theatres. YRF and Mohit Suri came up with the strategy to keep the new stars away from the spotlight, building intrigue around the project. Both Ahaan and Aneet now need to assess opportunities and think very carefully about their next project, as everything they do from this point on will be compared to this film.

Hari Hara Veera Mallu Box Office Collection Day 2: Pawan Kalyan's film plummets to single-digits amid poor reviews, collects only Rs 8 crore
Hari Hara Veera Mallu Box Office Collection Day 2: Pawan Kalyan's film plummets to single-digits amid poor reviews, collects only Rs 8 crore

Indian Express

time8 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Hari Hara Veera Mallu Box Office Collection Day 2: Pawan Kalyan's film plummets to single-digits amid poor reviews, collects only Rs 8 crore

After a historic opening at the box office, when it made Rs 34.75 crore on its first day, Pawan Kalyan's much-anticipated period action film Hari Hara Veera Mallu witnessed a steep decline in collections on Friday. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film earned only Rs 8 crore net on Day 2, a sharp drop of 77%, bringing its total domestic earnings to Rs 55.50crore. The Telugu-language film saw an overall occupancy of 24.42% across its second day, starting with 17.75% in the morning shows, improving slightly to 20.17% in the afternoon, 27.21% in the evening, and peaking at 32.53% during the night shows. Among regions, Mahbubnagar recorded the highest occupancy at 45.25%, followed by Warangal (31.50%) and Hyderabad (28.75%). Though released in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada, the film had limited screenings in these languages, with the bulk of its performance driven by the Telugu market. Set in 1684, the historical epic reportedly cost Rs 300 crore to make and was in production for several years. While the opening numbers created buzz, the second-day crash has been disappointing for fans and trade analysts alike. However, this isn't a new trend for Pawan Kalyan's recent releases. In 2023, Bro opened at Rs 30 crore but concluded its domestic run at Rs 83 crore. His 2022 release Bheemla Nayak opened at Rs 37.15 crore, finishing with Rs 112 crore, while 2021's Vakeel Saab started at Rs 40 crore and ended with Rs 109 crore in India. Also Read | Prithviraj says his Mumbai Police role was 'against the grain', opens up about rejecting Karan Johar's Bombay Talkies: 'Didn't want to do similar characters back-to-back' Expectations were high for Hari Hara Veera Mallu, which also stars Bobby Deol, especially since the Telugu film industry has been awaiting a major box office success since Pushpa 2 in 2024. Another big-budget Telugu release of the year, Shankar's Game Changer, starring Ram Charan, was also a colossal failure, as it managed to earn Rs 131.17 crore However, it posted a stronger performance than Hari Hara Veera Mallu in its first two days, collecting Rs 72.6 crore. The film has also faced criticism for its content. Both audiences and critics have panned it, and early signs suggest little potential for growth in the coming days. Adding to the controversy, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has condemned the film, accusing it of promoting anti-Muslim sentiment through a fictionalised narrative. On release day, Pawan Kalyan had posted on social media, 'The Jizya tax, a punitive levy imposed by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on Hindus for practicing their faith, stands as a stark symbol of oppression, yet historians have long softened its brutality. Hari Hara Veera Mallu boldly unmasks this injustice, exposing the erasure of Hindu suffering and the looting of India's wealth, like the Kohinoor's theft. With unwavering resolve, this saga celebrates Sanatana Dharma and the courage of our unsung heroes who defied tyranny.'

Saiyaara box office Day 8: Mohit Suri film continues strong run, earns Rs 190 crore
Saiyaara box office Day 8: Mohit Suri film continues strong run, earns Rs 190 crore

India Today

time8 minutes ago

  • India Today

Saiyaara box office Day 8: Mohit Suri film continues strong run, earns Rs 190 crore

After a stellar opening week, 'Saiyaara', featuring debutants Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda, maintained its impressive momentum with a steady second Friday at the Indian box office. The film has earned Rs 190 crore in eight to Sacnilk, the film earned an impressive Rs 18 crore on its second Friday, bringing its total India net collection to an estimated Rs 190.75 recording its lowest numbers so far, the film still climbed to the top of the list of highest-grossing Bollywood movies at the Indian box office. It even surpassed Akshay Kumar's 'Housefull 5' (Rs 183 crore) and Ajay Devgn's Raid 2 (Rs 173 crore) in lifetime collections. Watch the trailer here: 'Saiyaara' that struck a deep chord with the audience, is not set to enter the Rs 200 crore club on its second Saturday, becoming only the second Bollywood release of 2025 to hit this milestone after Vicky Kaushal's 'Chhaava'.With no major Hindi release this weekend, the romantic drama is expected to continue its dream run into the second weekend. This dream run is expected to continue for Saiyaara till at least August 1, before the release of 'Dhadak 2'.'Saiyaara' is a romance-drama about Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday), a budding musician, and Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda), a shy writer. Through their relationship, the film explores love, loss, and film is currently running successfully in theatres.- EndsTrending Reel

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store