'Shekhar Home': A crime in itself!

Crime is common. Logic is rare — a line written by Arthur Conan Doyle could perhaps summarise what happens in ‘Shekhar Home’, a desi adaptation of the iconic Sherlock Holmes. Set in West Bengal in the early 90’s the show promised a lot but failed to deliver. While the casting seems perfect, with Kay Kay Menon playing the titular role, the screenplay and direction fail to do justice to the enigmatic aura which is expected from Sherlock/Shekhar. Though it would be unfair to compare the series with cult classics, those who are privy to the world of ‘Sherlock’ would be disappointed, to say the least.

With a premise borrowing heavily from the books, the writers have tried to give the story a desi spin but the attempt falls flat.

The gripping storyline and dialogues which one might expect from a detective of that calibre are missing. The saving grace perhaps being the twist at the end of the season.

One would be forgiven to lose track of what’s happening on screen as the stories seem to drag. Shekhar could be considered a watered-down version of Sherlock.

A mysterious villain ‘M’, who is supposedly in the jungles of Thailand makes an appearance, but he is neither an equal adversary nor menacing enough to catch your attention.

Unfortunately, the supporting cast has been underutilised, as perhaps the show was meant to stand solely on the shoulders of Kay Kay Menon, whose talent has been wasted.

Logic is indeed rare throughout the series and if you are someone who has either read the books or grew up on detective stories, this show would be a disappointment. For those who have never been exposed to the original Sherlock Holmes, this could be a one-time watch. And while the plot promises a season 2, logic would suggest they go back to the drawing board.