Byomkesh Bakshi (TV series)


Byomkesh Bakshi is the first Hindi Television series based on the Byomkesh Bakshi character created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. The series stars Rajit Kapur and K.K. Raina as Byomkesh Bakshi and Ajit Kumar Banerjee, respectively. It features music and background score from Ananda Shankar. It became critically acclaimed and most celebrated adaptation of the character keeping it fresh even after decades. It has been re-telecasted on DD National from 28 March 2020 during the lockdown of 21 days due to coronavirus.

Synopsis

Byomkesh Bakshi is a Bengali Detective who takes on spine-chilling cases with his sidekick Ajitkumar Banerji. Byomkesh identifies himself as Satyanweshi meaning 'truth seeker' rather than a detective. He stands out from other legendary detectives like Poirot or Holmes because he is more concerned with truth than with law as evidenced from his cases where he lets the perpetrator die by manipulating the circumstances using their own methods as a redemption and deliverance of justice for the victim in absence of evidence as in Balak Jasoos, Ret Ka Daldal, and a few other cases.
Basu Chatterjee adapted each novel by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay into an episode.

Cast

There were two seasons having 34 episodes. The first season had 14 and the second season had 20 episodes.

Season 1 (1993)

  1. Satyanweshi: Byomkesh Bakshi investigates murders that have taken place in a particular locality. He assumes an alias and starts living in the hostel run by the homeopathic doctor Anukul babu. Initially told that there weren't rooms available, he convinces Ajit Kumar Banerjee to share a room with him. Then, by applying deductive methods, he soon identifies the murderer and induces an attack from him, and thereby catching him red-handed.
  2. Raste Ka Kanta: An advertisement in the newspaper draws the attention of Bakshi. Although seemingly funny, this advertisement Agar aap raaste ke kaante se... seems to have a more dangerous implication. A client approaches Bakshi and narrates how he was almost pierced by an object while walking on the street. Byomkesh investigates the matter and catches this dangerous person who has a special method of killing people.
  3. Seemant Heera: The case revolves around the theft of a priceless heirloom, and Byomkesh and Ajit are invited by the current heir to recover it from the heir's uncle, as consumed by greed, he has stolen it. His uncle offers to let Byomkesh and Ajit search the house for seven days. Byomkesh cracks the culprit's expertise in sculpting and eventually succeeds in getting the Seemant Heera back.
  4. Makdi Ka Ras: Byomkesh meets Mohan, one of Ajit's school friends and a doctor by profession who shares an intriguing event with them and seeks Bakshi's help. One of his patients, Nand Dulal Babu, has a weird addiction to Tarantula's fluid, which is gradually damaging his health. Despite the strict vigilance, how the fluid reaches Nandlal babu becomes the biggest question. But Bakshi solves the case in no time.
  5. Wasiyat: Karali Babu, a wealthy Bengali, with no direct heir, has been murdered in his sleep. As Byomkesh determines later in the story, the victim was killed in such a way that hints at the culprit having knowledge of medical procedures. The fact that the victim was in the habit of frequently changing his will out of temper makes it likely that anyone who could inherit his wealth would have killed him. Byomkesh probes the case and gets hold of the murderer. During this case, he meets Satyabati for the first time who is shown as his wife in the later episodes.
  6. Ret ka Daldal : During a vacation, Byomkesh and Ajit meet a financially troubled landlord whose daughter's tutor has strangely gone missing with the account books of his estate. The unexpected solution of the case revolves around a patch of quicksand somewhere near the landlord's residence.
  7. Laal Neelam: While Byomkesh talks about the release from jail of a criminal with a record of theft, loot, fraud and many such crimes, Ramnath Niyogi, he gets news regarding Maharaja Ramendra Sinha's secretary, Harihar's murder. Harihar, who used to be a criminal years ago but had mended his ways later, was pitilessly killed; Sinha insists Bakshi look into the matter and find out the culprit, which he eventually succeeds in. Since this episode, Satyabati is shown as Byomkesh's wife.
  8. Bhoot: Byomkesh investigates a case about allegedly a ghost haunting a house. He eventually succeeds in finding the person, who posed as the ghost to search and steal diamonds from the house.
  9. Agnibaan: As the daughter of Professor Deb Kumar dies mysteriously in the kitchen, while the former is in the Science Congress in Delhi, Byomkesh Bakshi decides to investigate the case himself and determine the cause of her death.
  10. Upasanhaar
  11. Tasvir Chor
  12. Kile Ka Rahasya
  13. Chiriya Ghar
  14. Chiriya Ghar

    Season 2 (1997)

  15. Aadim Shatru
  16. Aadim Shatru
  17. Aag Aur Patanga
  18. Vansh Ka Khoon
  19. Necklace
  20. Amrit ki Maut
  21. Pahari Rahasya
  22. Anjaan Khooni
  23. Kahen Kavi Kalidas
  24. Adrishya Trikon
  25. Wasiyat ka Rahasya
  26. Bemisaal
  27. Balak Jasoos
  28. Chakrant
  29. Paheli Gatha
  30. Kamra No. 102
  31. Dhokadhari
  32. Sahi ka Kanta
  33. Veni Sanhar
  34. Lohe ka Biscuit