Directed by Ravi Chhabriya, Detective Sherdil follows the model of a classic whodunit, where the protagonist solves a murder mystery and discovers who the killer was. While the writers did a good job with the mystery, I felt the characters weren't vibrant or intriguing enough to hold the audience's attention. Whether it's a lighthearted film like Murder on the Orient Express or a serious one like the 1969 Rajesh Khanna-starrer Ittefaq, what these whodunits have in common is that they feature interesting characters that keep you engaged and entertained. I felt Natasha's character could have been much better written, and her interaction with Sherdil could have been the highlight of the film. However, because those scenes weren't well developed and the script lacked punch, it failed to make much of an impact.
Detective Sherdil had a keen eye for detail, which is why his success rate in solving murder cases was quite high. Pankaj Bhatti, a well-known businessman, was shot dead in broad daylight, and Sherdil was called in to investigate the matter and identify the killer. The problem was that Sherdil's colleague Natasha, whom he had known for a long time, was also part of the investigation team. Sherdil hated working with Natasha, and the feeling was mutual. Still, since Natasha knew Sherdil was the best in the business, she recommended him to her boss.
Director: Ravi Chhabriya
Writers: Sagar Bajaj, Ravi Chhabriya, Ali Abbas Zafar
Stars: Sarah Barlondo, Mike Capozzola, Diljit Dosanjh
Besides Natasha, Danny, a good friend and colleague of Sherdil's, was also supposed to be part of the team. Sherdil liked to throw tantrums, and he told his bosses that he would listen to the details of the case and would only join the team if he found it interesting. So Natasha told everyone that Pankaj Bhatti was a self-made man who started as an engineer at a telephone exchange and later became the CEO of a company valued at around $60 billion. In his will, Mr. Bhatti had stipulated that 10% of his assets would go to Bodhi, who happened to be his brother-in-law; 10% to his dog, Rabbit; and the remainder (80%) to a man named Purvak, who happened to be his daughter and Shanti's boyfriend.
This was obviously a bit odd, as Mr. Bhatti didn't leave a single penny to his immediate family, which included his daughter, his wife (Rajeshwari), his son, Angad, and his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth. The mercenary, Luca, who had apparently murdered Mr. Bhatti, was captured shortly after the crime. Sherdil knew that someone else was pulling the strings, and Luca hadn't acted on his own. Sherdil learned that Purvak had been missing since the day of the murder, and the Bhatti family was convinced that he was the one who had murdered Pankaj. Aside from Purvak, even Mr. Bhatti's chauffeur, Jaipal, had disappeared since that day, making him a suspect, as he was the one driving Mr. Bhatti's car on the day of his murder. Given the complexity of the case, Sherdil couldn't resist joining the investigating team.
Sherdil and Natasha investigated the background and uncovered the dysfunctionality of the Bhatti family. After Sherdil's preliminary findings, it seemed anyone could have been actively involved in the businessman's murder. Rajeswari had been having an affair, and Mr. Bhatti found out. He decided to file for divorce because he saw no point in continuing his relationship with her. Angad may have been a good son, but he was a terrible businessman. Mr. Bhatti grew weary of bailing him out and his businesses, and it had cost him a fortune.
Angad was a socialite and spent most of his money on lavish parties, something his father simply disapproved of. Shanti was the only person Mr. Bhatti loved in the family. She was deaf and mute, and apparently, unlike the rest of her family, she wasn't interested in her father's money. When Sherdil spoke to the family, they all believed Purvak had murdered Mr. Bhatti, a fact Sherdil couldn't stomach. He realized the family was hiding something from him, probably because of his involvement in Mr. Bhatti's murder. Sherdil spoke to Luca, who was in prison at the time, and through him, learned about the whereabouts of Jaipal (the driver).
When Sherdil found Jaipal, he told him that he had seen Purvak with Luca, implying that the two had conspired to kill Mr. Bhatti. But soon after, even Jaipal's body was found in the nearby forest. Sherdil was determined to find incriminating evidence against the family, as he was sure they had something to do with the murder, but then something unprecedented happened that changed his perspective completely.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Sherdil noticed details that no one else had. So it didn't take long for her to figure out who the real killer was and why Purvak was taking all the blame. Sherdil realized that Rajeshwari, Angad, and Shanti were all putting on an act and lying about many things.
Sherdil spoke with Bodhi, who told her that Mr. Bhatti had undergone a radical change, probably after his illness, and that he had started spending a lot of time with him. This was quite unusual for him, as Bhatti had long disliked Bodhi. Bodhi told Sherdil and Natasha that the day Mr. Bhatti died, he had seen Angad shooting clay pigeons, and the unusual thing was that, despite being such a good shot, he hadn't hit the target even once. Just before Angad started shooting, Bodhi heard a gunshot that sounded slightly different from Angad's double-barreled gun, which meant the shot was coming from another gun. And the last thing Bodhi mentioned was that he saw Purvak running out of the mansion just before he saw Angad shoot.
Sherdil and Danny were also able to trace Mr. Bhatti's money and learned that a substantial amount was being transferred to a specific hospital in Budapest. Sherdil eventually found out that Mr. Bhatti was receiving treatment at that hospital, as he had been diagnosed with cancer some time ago. Perhaps it was the effect of his illness or the impact of spending time with a spiritual man like Bodhi; Mr. Bhatti decided to change his will and donate most of his money to charity. Surprisingly, of all the family members, it was Shanti who was most dismayed by her father's decision. She was considering killing Mr. Bhatti before he changed his will when Falak, the servant, entered the room and overheard everything.
This is how even Falak became part of the plan, and it was revealed that she had murdered Jaipal, as the Bhattis believed he was the loose link that would lead the police to them. They decided to include a third person in their plan so they could pin the blame entirely on him. It was then that Shanti decided to manipulate Purvak and make him believe she was in love with him. Shanti knew her father wouldn't approve of their relationship, so she might instigate Purvak to kill her father. But things didn't go according to Shanti's plan. Mr. Bhatti tested the young man, tried to break him in every way possible, but she ultimately ended up loving him, as he passed the tests with flying colors.
But the problem was that Mr. Bhatti, for a long time, didn't reveal to Purvak that he was only testing him and that he didn't actually hate him. Purvak might have reacted and done what Shanti asked if Mr. Bhatti hadn't opened up to him and told him how much he appreciated him, just in time. It was then that Purvak told him about his family's plan. Mr. Bhatti, disappointed and angry, went to talk to his family with a gun in his hand. He never imagined that his daughter, whom he loved so much, would one day try to kill him with her own hands.
It was Shanti who hugged her father and then managed to snatch the gun away. Shanti killed Pankaj Bhatti without any remorse. Purvak saw Shanti in the act and fled the mansion. But before he could leave the country, the Bhatti family tracked him down and learned that he had a sister, whom he had brought to the country illegally, with the help of Jayesh Bhai. Rajeshwari and Angad threatened to report his sister to the authorities if he did not take the blame for Mr. Bhatti's murder. Purvak had no choice but to do as he was told. The family then decided to put Pankaj Bhatti's body in the car and hire a hitman, just as a distraction. Purvak's sister, who was also deaf and mute, was held captive by Falak, who constantly drugged her to prevent her from trying to escape.
Thus, Sherdil, Natasha, and Danny managed to save the life of an innocent man and put the real perpetrators behind bars. Sherdil was assigned his next case in Kenya, and I think if there is a "Detective Sherdil" sequel, we'll see him and his team back in charge, solving another mysterious murder.
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