The Bengali Detective follows Detective Rajesh Ji and his motley crew of detectives as they solve crimes ranging from menial tasks of tracking down counterfeit shampoo products to grisly murders that the police are too lazy and corrupt to figure out themselves. As we follow their lives, especially that of Rajesh and his family, we also get to see his obsession with being on a dance show competition. Later on, he makes it happen and gets his extremely unfit crew of detectives to form a dance crew that is just freaking hilarious and adorable to watch.
When the film finished, I was left with a dazed feeling that I have never seen a film like this. It seemed so larger than life and at the same time, incredibly normal. It was only until the end that I came to grasp that what I was watching wasn’t fictional but a glimpse of reality that truly exists. That there are detectives out there, trying to make a buck in a place where police is largely corrupt and 70% of murders are left unsolved. Detectives who are full of heart and love, detectives who have crazy dreams of being on a dance show competition. Detectives who are just like you and me, and by no means a superhero.
Yet at the same time, the dedication that Rajesh has for his cases and his inspiration to lead his crew is beautiful to behold. Watching stories like these, I’ll take one of The Bengali Detective over a hundred Hollywood crime flicks. If this film ever comes out in your area, I strongly suggest you check this out.
