‘Detective Sherdil’ wants to be a fizzy, comic mystery with a charismatic lead and an exotic European setting. What it ends up being is a half-baked whodunit trying to pass off noise as style. Set in the picture-perfect streets of Budapest, the film has all the gloss of a tourist ad and none of the weight of a thriller.
A glossy mystery that forgets the basics
There’s a plot involving a dead billionaire, a shady will, and a dysfunctional rich family. There’s also Diljit Dosanjh, playing a detective who seems to have wandered in from a children’s skit. The murder mystery has its moments, but the tone constantly undercuts the tension with misplaced comedy, visual overkill, and some jarring background score.
Murder, money, and a dog as heir
Sherdil (Diljit Dosanjh), our offbeat detective, is part of the Budapest police and is partnered with Natasha (Diana Penty), who approaches her job with actual logic and professionalism. Together, they’re tasked with solving the murder of billionaire Pankaj Bhatti (Boman Irani), who bizarrely leaves his fortune to his daughter’s boyfriend and the family dog. Naturally, this doesn’t sit well with his surviving family, and the case spirals into a tangle of motives and deceit.
The premise isn’t bad—it’s got all the makings of a fun mystery romp. But the execution is so focused on being zany and unpredictable that it forgets to slow down, build suspense, or even let a scene breathe. The audience is kept so busy processing the chaos, they forget they’re supposed to care about who the killer is.
Diljit’s performance is a misfire
And at the center of this chaos is Diljit Dosanjh, who gives a performance so wildly misjudged it almost feels like a prank. His take on Sherdil is shrill, exhausting, and drenched in gimmick.
The harmonica—yes, he keeps playing one during serious moments—becomes symbolic of just how tonally confused the entire film is. He doesn’t just miss comic timing; he nukes it. Every line is overacted, every reaction exaggerated, like he’s in a competition to be noticed in his own film.
It’s not just unfunny—it’s genuinely disruptive. You’d think he was trying to parody detective tropes, but that would require a level of awareness the performance sorely lacks. It’s painful to watch an actor with undeniable charm trip so hard over a role that should have played to his strengths.
Supporting cast tries to salvage the chaos
What makes it harder is how good some of the other cast members are, despite the chaos around them. Diana Penty gives Natasha just the right mix of weariness and authority. She grounds the film in moments that desperately need anchoring. Boman Irani and Ratna Pathak Shah, playing the murdered tycoon and his scheming wife, bring dignity to their small roles, though they’re criminally underused. Sumeet Vyas and Banita Sandhu, as the entitled heirs, are competent but not memorable.
The only real surprise comes from Arjun Tanwar, who brings an unexpected stillness to the role of Purwak—a rare moment of quiet that actually holds your attention. The rest of the film is far too busy trying to be louder, faster, and funnier than it ever manages to be.
A detective that deserved a better script
The film opens with name-drops of iconic fictional detectives—Sherlock, Byomkesh, Karamchand—as if to nudge the audience into seeing Sherdil as the next big sleuth. Let’s just say that leap is… aspirational.
Instead of carving out a sharp, smart character, the film drowns Sherdil in caricature and then expects the audience to invest. The script is thin, the mystery is ok, and the comedy is far too forced. ‘Detective Sherdil’ could’ve worked with a better grip on tone and a tighter leash on its lead.
Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Diana Penty, Banita Sandhu, Sumeet Vyas, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Boman Irani Director: Ravi Chaabriya Rating: 2.5/5
(‘Detective Sherdil’ is streaming on Zee5)
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