Byomkesh Bakshi is an Indian-Bengali detective character created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. Referring himself as "truth-seeker" or Satyanweshi in the stories, Bakshi is known for his proficiency with observation, logical reasoning, and forensic science which he uses to solve complicated cases, usually murders occurred. Bakshi, initially appearing in the 1932 story Satyanweshi, the character's popularity immensely increased in Bengal and other parts of India.
Many film, television, radio, audio drama and other adaptations that have been made of Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay's series of detective novels featuring his character, Byomkesh.
Books Saradindu Bandopadhyay penned 32 Byomkesh stories from 1932 to 1970 prior to his death. In his early stories, Ajit Kumar Banerjee is described as his companion, and chronicler of his stories. But in some cases Ajit also investigates in absence of Byomkesh (examples, Makorshar Rosh, Shoilo Rahasya). The stories are all written in traditional formal Bengali language. However, later the stories shift to more colloquial language. The later stories (Room Nombor Dui, Chhlonar Chhondo, Shajarur Kanta, Benisonghaar and Lohar Biskut) are not penned by Ajit, who was engaged in his publication business.
The stories are not very complicated but very engaging, with a long series of surprising events. The stories present a range of crimes from the first story, Satyanweshi, where Byomkesh destroys an international drug racket, to household mysteries and crimes like Arthamanartham and Makorshar Rosh.
Sharadindu did not want to continue the Byomkesh stories, due to which he stopped writing from 1938 to 1951. During that time he busied himself writing scripts for films in Bombay. After his return to West Bengal, Byomkesh stories were still in demand so he wrote Chitrachor (Picture Imperfect) in 1951 and other stories gradually on to 1970, when his last story "Bishupal Badh" (Killing of Bishupal) was left incomplete owing to his untimely death.
List There are 32 published and 1 unpublished Byomkesh stories. The list is chronologically arranged.
Color key indicates "story". indicates "novel". indicates unfinished writings. Novel/StoryEnglish titleYear of publicationDetails of First English TranslationCharactersTitle of BookName of Story in TranslationTranslatorAjitSatyabatiSatyanweshi The Truth-Seeker 1932 Picture Imperfect and Other Byomkesh Bakshi Mysteries The InquisitorSreejata Guha Pother Kanta The Gramophone Pin Killer 1932 Picture Imperfect and Other Byomkesh Bakshi MysteriesThe Gramophone Pin MysterySreejata Guha Seemanto-heera The Hidden Heirloom 1932 Byomkesh Bakshi StoriesThe Hidden HeirloomMonimala Dhar Makorshar Rosh The Tarantula's Juice 1933 Picture Imperfect and Other Byomkesh Bakshi Mysteries The Venom of TarantulaSreejata Guha Arthamanartham The Worthless Fortune 1933 Picture Imperfect and Other Byomkesh Bakshi MysteriesWhere There's a Will Sreejata Guha Chorabali The Quicksand 1933 Byomkesh Bakshi StoriesQuicksandMonimala Dhar Agnibaan The Calamity Aflame 1935 Picture Imperfect and Other Byomkesh Bakshi Mysteries Calamity StrikesSreejata Guha Uposonghaar The Last Encounter 1935 Picture Imperfect and Other Byomkesh Bakshi Mysteries An Encore for ByomkeshSreejata Guha Raktomukhi Neela The Bloody Sapphire 1936 Byomkesh Bakshi StoriesThe Deadly DiamondMonimala Dhar Byomkesh O Boroda Byomkesh and Boroda 1936 The Rhythm of Riddles : Three Byomkesh Bakshi MysteriesByomkesh and BaradaArunava Sinha Chitrochor Picture Imperfect 1951 Picture Imperfect and Other Byomkesh Bakshi Mysteries Picture ImperfectSreejata Guha Durgo Rahasya The Mystery of the Fortress 1952 The Mystery of the Fortress and Other StoriesThe Mystery of the FortressShankar Sen Chiriyakhana The Menagerie 1953 The Menagerie and Other Byomkesh Bakshi MysteriesThe MenagerieSreejata Guha Adim Ripu The Pristine Enemy 1955 Banhi-patanga The Moth and the Flame 1956 Rokter Daag The Fault in The Bloodline 1956 The Bloodline Monimala Dhar Monimondon The Jewel Case 1958 The Menagerie and Other Byomkesh Bakshi MysteriesThe Jewel CaseSreejata Guha Amriter Mrityu The Death of Amrito 1959 The Rhythm of Riddles : Three Byomkesh Bakshi MysteriesThe Death of AmritoArunava Sinha Shailo Rahasya The Phantom Client 1959 Byomkesh Bakshi StoriesThe Phantom Client Monimala Dhar Achin Pakhi The Unknown Prey 1960 Byomkesh Bakshi StoriesThe Avenger Monimala Dhar Kohen Kobi Kalidas Thus Spoke the Poet Kalidasa 1961 The Mystery of the Fortress and Other StoriesThis Spoke the Poet KalidasaShankar Sen Adrishyo Trikon The Invisible Triangle 1961 The Mystery of the Fortress and Other StoriesThe Invisible TriangleShankar Sen Khuji Khuji Nari The Case of the Missing Will 1961 The Menagerie and Other Byomkesh Bakshi MysteriesThe Will that VanishedSreejata Guha Adwitiyo The Only One 1961 Adventures of Byomkesh Bakshi. Volume 2Adwitiya Mishul Das Mognomoinak The Magnificent 1963 Dushtochokro The Crooked Circle 1963 The Mystery of the Fortress and Other StoriesThe Crooked CircleShankar Sen Henyalir Chhondo The Rhythm of Riddles 1964 The Rhythm of Riddles : Three Byomkesh Bakshi MysteriesThe Rhythm of RiddlesArunava Sinha Room Nombor Dui Room No. 2 1964 Byomkesh Bakshi StoriesRoom Number TwoMonimala Dhar Cholonar Chhondo The Vengeful Collision 1965 Byomkesh Bakshi StoriesThe Man in a Red Coat Monimala Dhar Shajarur Kanta The Quills of the Porcupine 1967 The Menagerie and Other Byomkesh Bakshi MysteriesThe Quills of the PorcupineSreejata Guha Benishonghar The Annihilation of Beni 1968 Lohar Biskut The Iron Biscuits 1969 The Mystery of the Fortress and Other StoriesThe Iron BiscuitsShankar Sen Bishupal Bodh (unfinished) The Annihilation of Bishu Paal 1970
Television and streaming Actor Gaurav Chakrabarty won a Tele Academy Award (Best actor in a leading role) in 2014 for his role as Byomkesh Bakshi for Byomkesh. Year Series Actor Director Aired on 1980sByomkesh Bakshi Ajoy Ganguli DD Bangla 1993, 1997Byomkesh Bakshi Rajit Kapur Basu Chatterjee DD National 2004Byomkesh Bakshi Sudip Mukherjee Swapan Ghoshal DD Bangla 2007Byomkesh Saptarshi Roy Swapan Ghoshal Tara Muzik2014Byomkesh Gaurav Chakrabarty Amit Sengupta, Gopal Chakraborty, Joydeep MukherjeeColors Bangla2017Byomkesh Anirban Bhattacharya Sayantan Ghoshal, Soumik Chattopadhay, Soumik HalderHoichoi2023Durgo Rawhoshyo Anirban Bhattacharya Srijit Mukherji Hoichoi2026Byomkesh Gaurav Chakrabarty Shruti Das, Arna MukhopadhAddatimes
Sushant Singh Rajput and Anand Tiwari reprised their roles from Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! in a 2015 episode of the long running Indian TV Series C.I.D. to promote the films. Actor Abir Chatterjee and Ritwick Chakraborty promoted the film Byomkesh Pawrbo in a daily soap Goyenda Ginni in Zee Bangla, as themselves respectively.
Radio The Sunday Suspense series of 98.3 Radio Mirchi (Kolkata) adapted several novels of Byomkesh Bakshi for audio stories which include Satyanweshi, Pother Kanta, Simanta Heera, Makorshar Rosh, Agnibaan, Roktomukhi Neela, Khunji Khunji Nari, Arthamanartham, Chorabali, Adwitiyo, Monimondon, Cholonar Chondo, Lohar Biscuit, Achin Pakhi, Sajarur Kanta, Durgo Rohosyo and Chitrachor, performed by Mir Afsar Ali as Byomkesh and Deep as Ajit. However, Mir left radio and Gaurav Chakrabarty replaced him. Gaurav has played Byomkesh in Banhi Patanga, Rakter Daag, Magnomoinak, Benisonghar, Chiriyakhana and Adim Ripu.
Audio drama The Satyanweshi audio drama series created by actor Aneesh See Yay adapted twenty two novels and eight original audio dramas of Byomkesh Bakshi in Malayalam Language YearOriginal titleEnglish titleBased OnRef.2019SatyanweshiThe Truth SeekerSatyanweshi (novel)2019Pathayile MulluThe Thorn of The PathPother Kanta2019Agni AsthramThe Fire Weapon Agnibaan2019UpasamharamThe EpilogueUpashonghar2019Vilpathrathinte RahasyamThe Secret of BequeathKhunji Khunji Nari2019BhoothamThe GhostByomkesh O Boroda2019Vamshathinte KolapathakamThe Successor's MurderRokter Daag2019Chathuppile ChathiThe Deception With a SwampChorabali2019ChakravyoohamThe LabyrinthDushtochokro2020Chilanthiyude VishamThe Venom of SpiderMakorshar Rosh2020Maranathinte ChathikkuzhiThe Death TrapCholonar Chhondo2020Amoolya VajramThe Precious DiamondSeemanto-Heera2020Akjatha KolapathakiThe Unknown MurdererAchin Pakhi2020Raktham Puranda IndraneelamThe Bloody SapphireRoktomukhi Neela2020Chithram Katta KallanThe Picture ThiefChitrochor2020Randaamathe MuriThe Second RoomRoom Nombor Dui2020PrahelikaThe RiddleHenyalir Chhondo2020Bomkesh AD 7907An Epic Voyage To The FutureOriginal Story by Aneesh See Yay2020Rahasyangalude KottaThe Fortress of SecretsDurgo Rahasya2020Adhirshya ThrikonamThe Invisible TriangleAdrishyo Trikon2020Thalam Thettiya ManassuThe Rhythm Less MindOriginal Story by Aneesh See Yay2020JailpulliThe IncarceratedOriginal Story by Aneesh See Yay2022SoothradharanThe MastermindOriginal Story by Aneesh See Yay2022Pracheena ShathruThe Ancient EnemyOriginal Story by Aneesh See Yay2022Uttama KallanThe Perfect ThiefOriginal Story by Aneesh See Yay2022RasaThanthramThe Chemistry TrickOriginal Story by Aneesh See Yay2022AthulyaNThe MatchlessAdwitiyo2023VajramalaThe NecklaceMonimondon2023Amrithinte MaranamThe Death of AmritAmriter Mrityu2023VelluviliThe ChallengeOriginal Story by Aneesh See Yay
Films
YearTitleByomkesh BakshiAjit DirectorBased onProducerRef. 1967Chiriyakhana Uttam KumarShailen Mukherjee Satyajit Ray ChiriyakhanaStar Productions 1974Shajarur Kanta Shyamal GhosalShailen Mukherjee Manju Dey Shajarur Kanta Manju Dey 2009Magno Mainak Subhrajit DuttaRajarshi Mukherjee Swapan Ghosal Magno Mainak New Wave Communications 2010Byomkesh Bakshi Abir Chatterjee Saswata Chatterjee Anjan Dutt Adim Ripu Kaustuv Roy 2012Abar Byomkesh Abir Chatterjee Saswata Chatterjee Anjan DuttChitra Chor Rana Sarkar 2013Satyanweshi Sujoy Ghosh Anindya Chatterjee Rituporno Ghosh Chorabali Shree Venkatesh Films 2014Byomkesh Phire Elo Abir Chatterjee Saswata Chatterjee Anjan Dutt Beni Sanghar Kaustuv Roy 2014Doorbeen Soumitra ChatterjeeRajat Ganguly Swagato Chowdhury Feluda-Byomkesh combination (Original Story) Saikat Mitra 2015Shajarur Kanta Dhritiman Chatterjee Pradip Mukherjee Saibal Mitra Shajarur Kanta Pradip Churiwal, Saikat Mitra 2015 Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! Sushant Singh RajputAnand Tiwari Dibakar Banerjee Loosely based on Satyanweshi Aditya Chopra, Dibakar Banerjee 2015 Byomkesh Bakshi Jisshu Sengupta Saswata Chatterjee Anjan Dutt Kohen Kobi Kaalidas Kaustuv Roy 2015 Har Har Byomkesh Abir Chatterjee Ritwick Chakraborty Arindam Sil Banhi Patanga Shree Venkatesh Films 2016 Byomkesh O Chiriyakhana Jisshu Sengupta Saswata Chatterjee Anjan Dutt Chiriyakhana Kaustuv Roy 2016 Byomkesh Pawrbo Abir Chatterjee Ritwick Chakraborty Arindam Sil Amriter Mrityu Shree Venkatesh Films 2016 Baroda O Bohurupi Subrata Roy (cameo appearance) Neelotpal Sinharoy Bohurupi Bijoli Prosad SinharoyHaraprosad SinharoyAmiya Sinharoy Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: 2017 Byomkesh O Agnibaan Jisshu Sengupta Saswata Chatterjee Anjan Dutt Satyanweshi,Agnibaan and Upasanghar Kaustuv Roy 2018 Biday Byomkesh Abir Chatterjee Rahul Banerjee Debaloy Bhattacharaya Original story Shree Venkatesh Films 2018 Byomkesh Gotro Abir Chatterjee Rahul Banerjee Arindam Sil Rakter Daag Shree Venkatesh Films 2019 Satyanweshi Byomkesh Parambrata Chatterjee Rudranil Ghosh Sayantan Ghosal Magno Mainak Greentouch Entertainment2022Byomkesh HatyamanchaAbir ChatterjeeSuhotro Mukhopadhyay Arindam SilBishupal BadhShree Venkatesh Films2023Byomkesh O Durgo RahasyaDevAmbarish Bhattacharya Birsa DasguptaDurgo RahasyaShadow FilmsDev Entertainment VenturesPVR Inox Pictures
Video games
A hidden objects game for mobile devices called Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!: The Game was released by Games2win in 2015.
Legacy A popular fictional detective named "Vyomkesh", has been referenced by Sita in Amish Tripathi's book Sita: Warrior of Mithila.Amish Tripathi, Sita: Warrior of Mithila, page#135