Samrat and co. is a mystery thriller film but it lacks a plot.It may be tauted as a thriller but it also lacked thrills.The movies relies heavily on Rajeev and he does his job nicely.The main problem of the movie was its lazy script.This story seems good on paper but on screen it was too loose containing a lot of plot holes.The story was so simple but it was dragged too much.It could have been trimmed for at least 20-25 mins.From the beginning the mystery has been created very nicely but its conclusion was too boring.The climax of the movie was on of the biggest drawbacks of this movie.But still it was a non- predictable plot which was engaging.It was neither too boring nor too good.In acting department Rajeev does a fantastic job.He looked good in the role and played it well.The direction of the movie was weak.Some dialogues of the movie were good while some were confusing and irritating.Such types of movie needs a solid characterization and this film is weak in this section.Music was average but the locations were good and gave pleasure to the eyes.Overall it is an Indian version of Sherlock holmes which could have been better but was marred by a bad plot.Still it could be watched once as it a bit different from usual bollywood flicks. RATING : 6.3 out of 10
23 Reviews
Worth a watch
dimitrz18 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Worth a watch on a rainy day or on a cold afternoon or when you want to watch something reasonably entertaining but without the need to be overly invested in the movie.
Its definitely a time pass movie which could have been so much more better.
Acting , direction , story telling and even writing could have been better because the main issue with this otherwise decent movie is that , at crucial junctures its handled very amateurishly be it in direction , writing or screenplay department.
We dont feel any emotion when one of the villans falls from a cliff , nether do we feel any real emotion when the killer is found nor do we feel any thrill when certain charters die in the movie and thats why I said if certain sections of the movie was not handled in an amateurish way this could have been a very good movie and could have build a career for both Rajeev and Priyanshu, sadly that was not the case.
I would definitely have watched its part 2 , if it had been made because is a decent & clean time pass movie. Which can be watched with family.
Its definitely a time pass movie which could have been so much more better.
Acting , direction , story telling and even writing could have been better because the main issue with this otherwise decent movie is that , at crucial junctures its handled very amateurishly be it in direction , writing or screenplay department.
We dont feel any emotion when one of the villans falls from a cliff , nether do we feel any real emotion when the killer is found nor do we feel any thrill when certain charters die in the movie and thats why I said if certain sections of the movie was not handled in an amateurish way this could have been a very good movie and could have build a career for both Rajeev and Priyanshu, sadly that was not the case.
I would definitely have watched its part 2 , if it had been made because is a decent & clean time pass movie. Which can be watched with family.
An Under-rated Mystery that Keeps Everyone the Edge on their Seat!
yuvrajjuneja-5902126 June 2021
The Movie Is totally Suspence, somewhere They throwed little bit Comedy too but it's Amazing. I Watched this movie on Amazon Prime Video Today. If you're starting watch this film then you'll have to focus every scene of Movie. Then you'll understand that what is going on this film.
Rajeev Khandelwal's Performance Made me Impress a lot. From the Film Shaitan and Table No. 21 I Liked Him. And Now this Samrat & Co has Made Me Impress by his Performance and From this Film too.
It's a All Time Watch Film.
Rajeev Khandelwal's Performance Made me Impress a lot. From the Film Shaitan and Table No. 21 I Liked Him. And Now this Samrat & Co has Made Me Impress by his Performance and From this Film too.
It's a All Time Watch Film.
Typical Indian drama "ADAALAT" copy
taimur-adil939 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
i think movie 'samrat and co.' is a typical Indian drama serial 'Adaalat' copy, starting was fine but ending and way to find murderer was not so good... i watched the same way to find the criminal many times in Adaalat's episode. Bollywood_Hungama gave only 3 out of 10 i don't know why people make it 6.6 out of 10 on IMDb. My personal advice is that if you does not want to watch this movie, watch any of Adaalat episode i am sure that you will find more info and more entertainment through that drama. And at last some minor mistakes one is weird hair-style and other is speaking in fast mode tactics of detective and still there are many other sequences in the film which force you to call it a childish attempt in a serious movie.
Tries a rare genre but sadly that is the only merit of this amateurish & avoidable detective episode.
bobbysing2 June 2014
Hindi Cinema has given us very few brilliant investigative crime dramas and when it comes to films based on any particular detective figure only, then we have rarely gone into that specific genre with a serious vision. Interestingly Bengali Cinema has many movies made on their cult detective icons such as Byomkesh Bakshi, Feluda and more. But Hindi Cinema has recently realized this void and now coming up with a series of detective movies in the coming months beginning with SAMRAT & CO. made under the reputed banner of Rajshri Productions venturing into this rare genre of crime movies for the very first time.
However, the sad news is that a clean attempt made into this less explored genre remains the only merit of this amateurish detective film and it has been surprisingly directed quite casually without taking care of all the 'must have' ingredients required for such investigative thrillers. On a lighter note, probably having only a Sherlock Holmes kind of character along with a funny Watson looking into an interesting case brought in by a charming girl is only what a detective film is all about as per the writer and the director, as I personally felt while watching it.
Elaborating on the same, a detective movie made on a particular case first of all has to move out of the TV serial mode essentially to make it big enough to be presented as a complete theater experience. In fact that is the very reason why many films are not made in this risky genre, since they don't offer any repeat value, once the secret is out revealing the real killer. Therefore you often get to see enjoyable Detective Serials being made with several episodes for the channels, but rarely a major film made on a single case.
Secondly, the case adapted for the film should be so engrossing in its own that it can keep the viewer focused and glued to the proceedings for at least two hours with new clues and development thrown in every 10 minutes.
Thirdly and most importantly the culmination of such films should be shocking as well as entertaining enough that the viewer feels annoyed (on his own misjudgment) yet immensely satisfied with the disclosure made by the detective describing the complete process of his investigations in the last reel.
But surprisingly, none of the above is there in SAMRAT & CO. and the film still follows the same old overused pattern of 'every suspect, dying one by one' as its uninteresting story progression incorporating many other added subplots without any clear vision. Moreover the pattern of direction makes you wonder about the kind of team behind the product, who probably have never read Indian detective novels of writers such as Ibn-e-Safi, Ved Prakash Sharma, Colonel Ranjit and the pioneer Surendra Mohan Pathak with his famous characters of Sunil, Sudhir, Vimal and more. Plus it seems they even missed out enjoying the interesting detective heroes of the Comic world too wherein we had Rajan-Iqbal, Mama Bhanja, Babloo, Inspector Manoj, Amar-Akbar, Colonel Karan and many more, much famous among the kids and also in the grown-up comic lovers, continuing with their childhood passion lovingly.
Anyway moving ahead, even if you ignore the weird hair-style and 'speaking to self in a fast mode' tactics of detective Samrat, still there are many more sequences in the film which force you to call it a childish attempt in a serious genre, made by an over enthusiastic team. For instance, the narration leaves several questions answered in the end which is a clear indication of an unprepared script with lots of visible loopholes. Too many characters are stuffed into the proceedings in order to make it thrilling enough forcibly. Characters are singing songs in the middle of an ongoing investigation, just to fill in the commercial needs. In the same mansion at a hill station, one character comes out of the washroom saying its too cold in here and the other is wearing short skirts as if its summer time. Strangely so many digitalized, backdrops have been used unnecessarily to give it a different feel. The detective starts fighting with the killer in the end on a dangerous hill top, perhaps to fill in the action requirement of the distributor as it seems. And lastly just like a typical Hindi film hero, the intelligent detective also finds his true love in the young daughter of the dead as if she was just waiting for a crime investigator only all her life till now.
To say the truth, this certainly isn't the film matching up to the Rajshri standards from any angle featuring such over the top and irritating performances by the lead characters including Rajeev Khandelwal (didn't he read the script before signing it?). Also I found accomplished performers such as Priyanshu Chatterjee feeling quite uncomfortable acting in such mediocre movie made in the name of 'Dilchasp Rahasya Ride', which neither has anything 'Dilchasp' nor 'Rahasyamayi' in its 2+ hours of duration, taking the viewer on to a funny ride.
Summing up, the background score is the only decent feature of this poor film but since one cannot spend both his time and money for this one factor alone. So simply skip it and watch the American TV Series "True Detective" instead, if you really wish to see something spectacular about detectives.
However, the sad news is that a clean attempt made into this less explored genre remains the only merit of this amateurish detective film and it has been surprisingly directed quite casually without taking care of all the 'must have' ingredients required for such investigative thrillers. On a lighter note, probably having only a Sherlock Holmes kind of character along with a funny Watson looking into an interesting case brought in by a charming girl is only what a detective film is all about as per the writer and the director, as I personally felt while watching it.
Elaborating on the same, a detective movie made on a particular case first of all has to move out of the TV serial mode essentially to make it big enough to be presented as a complete theater experience. In fact that is the very reason why many films are not made in this risky genre, since they don't offer any repeat value, once the secret is out revealing the real killer. Therefore you often get to see enjoyable Detective Serials being made with several episodes for the channels, but rarely a major film made on a single case.
Secondly, the case adapted for the film should be so engrossing in its own that it can keep the viewer focused and glued to the proceedings for at least two hours with new clues and development thrown in every 10 minutes.
Thirdly and most importantly the culmination of such films should be shocking as well as entertaining enough that the viewer feels annoyed (on his own misjudgment) yet immensely satisfied with the disclosure made by the detective describing the complete process of his investigations in the last reel.
But surprisingly, none of the above is there in SAMRAT & CO. and the film still follows the same old overused pattern of 'every suspect, dying one by one' as its uninteresting story progression incorporating many other added subplots without any clear vision. Moreover the pattern of direction makes you wonder about the kind of team behind the product, who probably have never read Indian detective novels of writers such as Ibn-e-Safi, Ved Prakash Sharma, Colonel Ranjit and the pioneer Surendra Mohan Pathak with his famous characters of Sunil, Sudhir, Vimal and more. Plus it seems they even missed out enjoying the interesting detective heroes of the Comic world too wherein we had Rajan-Iqbal, Mama Bhanja, Babloo, Inspector Manoj, Amar-Akbar, Colonel Karan and many more, much famous among the kids and also in the grown-up comic lovers, continuing with their childhood passion lovingly.
Anyway moving ahead, even if you ignore the weird hair-style and 'speaking to self in a fast mode' tactics of detective Samrat, still there are many more sequences in the film which force you to call it a childish attempt in a serious genre, made by an over enthusiastic team. For instance, the narration leaves several questions answered in the end which is a clear indication of an unprepared script with lots of visible loopholes. Too many characters are stuffed into the proceedings in order to make it thrilling enough forcibly. Characters are singing songs in the middle of an ongoing investigation, just to fill in the commercial needs. In the same mansion at a hill station, one character comes out of the washroom saying its too cold in here and the other is wearing short skirts as if its summer time. Strangely so many digitalized, backdrops have been used unnecessarily to give it a different feel. The detective starts fighting with the killer in the end on a dangerous hill top, perhaps to fill in the action requirement of the distributor as it seems. And lastly just like a typical Hindi film hero, the intelligent detective also finds his true love in the young daughter of the dead as if she was just waiting for a crime investigator only all her life till now.
To say the truth, this certainly isn't the film matching up to the Rajshri standards from any angle featuring such over the top and irritating performances by the lead characters including Rajeev Khandelwal (didn't he read the script before signing it?). Also I found accomplished performers such as Priyanshu Chatterjee feeling quite uncomfortable acting in such mediocre movie made in the name of 'Dilchasp Rahasya Ride', which neither has anything 'Dilchasp' nor 'Rahasyamayi' in its 2+ hours of duration, taking the viewer on to a funny ride.
Summing up, the background score is the only decent feature of this poor film but since one cannot spend both his time and money for this one factor alone. So simply skip it and watch the American TV Series "True Detective" instead, if you really wish to see something spectacular about detectives.
Brilliant as a detective story but there is one thing to be concerned of.
maliks010 June 2015
This is one of the best Indian films i have seen, Bollywood is not known for producing detective stories but they managed such an interesting movie. It was brilliantly detected, decent background music, suspense till the end, nice script, good plot. In a detective story one has to develop every single character from a driver or a neighbor to the detective itself, and the director and writer managed to do so in this. The dialogs are brilliant and can be used in everyday lives. BUT, there is one thing, after the film ends, the director, writer, actors and every body tells us about the making of the film and all. They tell us that it took them a lot of days to build up Samrat's character in the film, they considered a lot of things and thought a lot before giving a summer of the character to Rajeev khandelwal. While the truth is, all they did was ask Rajeev to closely observe Benedict Cumberbatch's character and copy it, which he did. Same attitude, same lifestyle, same coat, same way of setting the collar of the coat. They should have at least told us that they were inspired by the brilliance of Benedict Cumberbatch. Otherwise, as a whole, the film is awesome, suspense till the very end. The actors did great job.
You are no Sherlock Holmes Rajeev but I like you
jmathur_swayamprabha26 April 2014
Samrat Tilakdhari aka STD(Rajeev Khandelwal) is our Desi Sherlock Holmes who likes to try his hands upon challenging cases only in the company of his Desi Dr. Watson - Chakradhar aka CD(Gopal Dutt). He gets a challenging assignment through Shimla based Dimpy(Madalsa Sharma) who informs him that the garden of her family house has dried up without an apparent reason and her father(Girish Karnad) is quite depressed and frightened after the death of their gardener who had rendered a commination to the garden when expelled from service by her father. However the real challenge appears in this assignment only upon our hero's arrival at the venue in Shimla which is a palatial house made in the style of the British times when killings start in the extended family residing there. As expected, our hero finally solves this whodunit.
The prestigious Rajshri banner of the Barjatya family has made this movie, taking a diversion from the family dramas they are famous for. However this whodunit also contains a family drama which is behind the mysterious happenings and killings. Director Kaushik Ghatak had earlier directed Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi(2008) for the Barjatyas which was nothing but another version of Rajshri's old hit Tapasya(1976). This time, he seems to have read many Sherlock Holmes stories penned by Arthur Conan Doyle and also some Agatha Christie novels before writing the script of this movie which is a mix-masala of a Sherlock Holmes venture and a Hercule Poirot venture with some James Bondish stunts appearing at places. It does not bore but a writer-director skilled in making such movies would have presented a much better movie on this story.
The traditional murder mystery has been spread pretty well on the screen with ample attention to the fine details of the characters, their relationships and their activities. However in his bid to present his detective hero as the legendary Sherlock Holmes, too much detailing has been poured into his dialogs which becomes irksome after a point. But the director was not satisfied with the Sherlock Holmes persona of his hero, so he has committed the blunder of rendering a touch of James Bond also by showing him doing stunts which is superfluous.
The narrative would have been taut and free-flowing without the two songs unnecessarily inserted into the movie. Though I liked the second(romantic) song, it didn't stay with me after the movie was over. And the first song which is a party song is highly irritating because of the disgusting appearance of'elephantine' Ganesh Acharya dancing with a young girl.
Kaushik Ghatak as a script-writer has done well by linking everything to everything else without leaving any loose ends wanting to be tied up when the story ends but he has introduced unnecessary characters also. The character of Shanti(Pooja Gupta) who presents a parody of Basanti of Sholay is one such character only. Though I laughed at a few places but it was because of the hero and not the humorous characters and situations those the director has tried to force into the narrative.
Unlike many recent Bollywood movies, one half of the movie is not superior or inferior to the other one. The suspense-filled story flows equally well in both the halves and the intermission has been brought at the correct spot.
Dialog-writer could not write quality one-liners for the hero. The one-liners are aplenty for him in the script but they fail to rise above the ordinary. He terms the heroine(Madalsa Sharma) at a place -'Mistress in Distress'. God only knows what it means because I have heard and read about'Damsel in Distress' only.
Rajshri banner has switched to lavishness from simplicity under the reign of Sooraj Barjatya. However I am highly surprised to see that the shooting has not been done in the real locations of Shimla(or at least some other hill station). The animation and artificiality is so vivid that it appears to be a stain in the name of the great Rajshri banner.
There are two USPs of this movie. The first one is - it's a neat and clean movie. Nowadays it has become a rarity to come across neat and clean entertainers from Bollywood. Rajshri banner had earned a repute of presenting simple but very sweet movies sans any vulgarity during the sixties, the seventies and the early eighties. This movie is devoid of any vulgarity and definitely a movie which can be watched with one's family.
The second one is Rajeev Khandelwal, the hero of this movie wearing a persona of Sherlock Holmes but acting at places in Hercule Poirot style also. Rajeev is a talented actor and a perfect hero material for Bollywood movies. In this movie, he has got very limited range of expressions because of the role being that of a detective, still he impresses. Given a right break, he can emerges as the latest heartthrob of young Indian females. He is one reason, you keep on watching this movie despite its apparent flaws.
Other than Rajeev, Gopal Dutt as his sidekick has also done a good job. All others including the heroine - Madalsa Sharma, are strictly okay. However it's a great pleasure to see highly talented and charming actor Priyanshu Chatterjee in a movie after a long hiatus.
All in all, the trouble with this old-fashioned whodunit is its mediocrity. It could have been a much superior mystery movie in the hands of an able director. All the same, it's not a bad movie. It's a decent one time watch but strictly for the mystery fans.
My rating for the movie - 2.5 stars
The prestigious Rajshri banner of the Barjatya family has made this movie, taking a diversion from the family dramas they are famous for. However this whodunit also contains a family drama which is behind the mysterious happenings and killings. Director Kaushik Ghatak had earlier directed Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi(2008) for the Barjatyas which was nothing but another version of Rajshri's old hit Tapasya(1976). This time, he seems to have read many Sherlock Holmes stories penned by Arthur Conan Doyle and also some Agatha Christie novels before writing the script of this movie which is a mix-masala of a Sherlock Holmes venture and a Hercule Poirot venture with some James Bondish stunts appearing at places. It does not bore but a writer-director skilled in making such movies would have presented a much better movie on this story.
The traditional murder mystery has been spread pretty well on the screen with ample attention to the fine details of the characters, their relationships and their activities. However in his bid to present his detective hero as the legendary Sherlock Holmes, too much detailing has been poured into his dialogs which becomes irksome after a point. But the director was not satisfied with the Sherlock Holmes persona of his hero, so he has committed the blunder of rendering a touch of James Bond also by showing him doing stunts which is superfluous.
The narrative would have been taut and free-flowing without the two songs unnecessarily inserted into the movie. Though I liked the second(romantic) song, it didn't stay with me after the movie was over. And the first song which is a party song is highly irritating because of the disgusting appearance of'elephantine' Ganesh Acharya dancing with a young girl.
Kaushik Ghatak as a script-writer has done well by linking everything to everything else without leaving any loose ends wanting to be tied up when the story ends but he has introduced unnecessary characters also. The character of Shanti(Pooja Gupta) who presents a parody of Basanti of Sholay is one such character only. Though I laughed at a few places but it was because of the hero and not the humorous characters and situations those the director has tried to force into the narrative.
Unlike many recent Bollywood movies, one half of the movie is not superior or inferior to the other one. The suspense-filled story flows equally well in both the halves and the intermission has been brought at the correct spot.
Dialog-writer could not write quality one-liners for the hero. The one-liners are aplenty for him in the script but they fail to rise above the ordinary. He terms the heroine(Madalsa Sharma) at a place -'Mistress in Distress'. God only knows what it means because I have heard and read about'Damsel in Distress' only.
Rajshri banner has switched to lavishness from simplicity under the reign of Sooraj Barjatya. However I am highly surprised to see that the shooting has not been done in the real locations of Shimla(or at least some other hill station). The animation and artificiality is so vivid that it appears to be a stain in the name of the great Rajshri banner.
There are two USPs of this movie. The first one is - it's a neat and clean movie. Nowadays it has become a rarity to come across neat and clean entertainers from Bollywood. Rajshri banner had earned a repute of presenting simple but very sweet movies sans any vulgarity during the sixties, the seventies and the early eighties. This movie is devoid of any vulgarity and definitely a movie which can be watched with one's family.
The second one is Rajeev Khandelwal, the hero of this movie wearing a persona of Sherlock Holmes but acting at places in Hercule Poirot style also. Rajeev is a talented actor and a perfect hero material for Bollywood movies. In this movie, he has got very limited range of expressions because of the role being that of a detective, still he impresses. Given a right break, he can emerges as the latest heartthrob of young Indian females. He is one reason, you keep on watching this movie despite its apparent flaws.
Other than Rajeev, Gopal Dutt as his sidekick has also done a good job. All others including the heroine - Madalsa Sharma, are strictly okay. However it's a great pleasure to see highly talented and charming actor Priyanshu Chatterjee in a movie after a long hiatus.
All in all, the trouble with this old-fashioned whodunit is its mediocrity. It could have been a much superior mystery movie in the hands of an able director. All the same, it's not a bad movie. It's a decent one time watch but strictly for the mystery fans.
My rating for the movie - 2.5 stars
Engaging & worth a Watch
purnima_2711-502-98617528 April 2014
First things first, when u go to watch Samrat &Co don't go with a comparative state of mind that you gonna watch Desi Sherlock, or Indian Benedict Cumberbatch...because if you will deliberately try to find someone else in Samrat it will not only be unfair but disappointing also as it will kill the whole idea & fun of watching a suspense film.
So for all those who have seen & read Sherlock Holmes (like me) comparisons are inevitable because the mere mention of word detective is synonymous with Sherlock Holmes....but you would not enjoy the film if you watch Samrat & Co with an intention of comparing scene to scene , frame to frame, dialogue to dialogue... so my advice is before watching Samrat &Co keep all detective references back home... & welcome & meet Samrat as a new detective, an addition to the whole list of Detectives we have known till now, & film Samrat &Co.... as any other new suspense film..trust me, you will enjoy the film more...
Initially when the case actually started off I also was comparing but gradually kept comparisons aside & focused on the case as it engages you eventually & you start solving case along with Samrat, you start making your own assumptions who is criminal who is not, who is positive or negative !! Film as a whole has been good...it sticks to its genre, efforts of writer & director sud be appreciated they managed to keep the interest & Mystery level intact till the end (It kept me guessing till the end) & every time u think Samrat has solved the case...it just takes a twist & u get surprised...& DAT the basic requirement for any suspense thriller...& must say Samrat&Co fulfills it...
A special mention for the dialogs some have turned out really good... like "Pyaar Aur war me in Sab fair Hota hai Kyunki do no me second prize nahi Hota"..."Aadmi who Nahi hota Jo who dikhata hai...Aadmi who hota hai Jo who chupata hai"
CD & Samrat's camaraderie is something to watch out... CD manages to crack u up at many places...
Though I personally felt there were certain things which director cud have done away with...for instance he cud have reduced number of suspects because if you loose the track of story, somewhere amidst of so many characters it tends to get confusing (I did got confused) but guess to keep the mystery more gripping it was required :) Also, putting in romantic angle for Samrat-Dimpy wasn't required since it was there we watched, if it wouldn't have been there it wouldn't have made much of difference...& thankfully it wasn't dragged much... :) :) Since as a audience the main focus remains on the case Samrat needs to solve so,like any other suspense film it didn't have much scope for music, except for the background music, & Of course "Sawalon me in", it was wonderful...would have loved to hear more of it ....Song in itself has a mysterious & chilling feel to it...
As a character Samrat is very much of a detective, intelligent, smart, & a very keen observer...not even a minute details escapes his eye... just a glance & he will know your past present & future... Best thing about Samrat is director & creative have not made him a filmy & heroic kind of character... even in the opening fight sequence more than muscle power it was all about brains coz physically Samrat was no where in competition with the fighter (Though the whole shot was a proper fan girl moment for me ^_^ ) Samrat solved the case more with brains....& with his instincts oops sorry (tcchhh) seventh sense!! ...
Rajeev as Samrat pulls off to manage Samrat convincingly enough...& practically carries film on himself in spite of presence of other characters who make their presence felt....As Samrat Rajeev makes you believe in him as a detective & as a Rajeev khandelwal fan its gonna be a treat to watch him...
Overall would give 3 out of 5...(tried to be as unbiased & non-comparative as possible) you would enjoy the film if you watch it with open mind...Don't watch it just for the heck of comparison or to rip the film apart & trash the film.... instead the efforts of writer, director, actors, production house to come up with something like this should be appreciated... The whole team deserves praise for introducing us to a new private investigator, I don't think Hindi films has any detective film in past many years... at least I have not seen it...
Once again Welcome the new detective "Samrat"
So for all those who have seen & read Sherlock Holmes (like me) comparisons are inevitable because the mere mention of word detective is synonymous with Sherlock Holmes....but you would not enjoy the film if you watch Samrat & Co with an intention of comparing scene to scene , frame to frame, dialogue to dialogue... so my advice is before watching Samrat &Co keep all detective references back home... & welcome & meet Samrat as a new detective, an addition to the whole list of Detectives we have known till now, & film Samrat &Co.... as any other new suspense film..trust me, you will enjoy the film more...
Initially when the case actually started off I also was comparing but gradually kept comparisons aside & focused on the case as it engages you eventually & you start solving case along with Samrat, you start making your own assumptions who is criminal who is not, who is positive or negative !! Film as a whole has been good...it sticks to its genre, efforts of writer & director sud be appreciated they managed to keep the interest & Mystery level intact till the end (It kept me guessing till the end) & every time u think Samrat has solved the case...it just takes a twist & u get surprised...& DAT the basic requirement for any suspense thriller...& must say Samrat&Co fulfills it...
A special mention for the dialogs some have turned out really good... like "Pyaar Aur war me in Sab fair Hota hai Kyunki do no me second prize nahi Hota"..."Aadmi who Nahi hota Jo who dikhata hai...Aadmi who hota hai Jo who chupata hai"
CD & Samrat's camaraderie is something to watch out... CD manages to crack u up at many places...
Though I personally felt there were certain things which director cud have done away with...for instance he cud have reduced number of suspects because if you loose the track of story, somewhere amidst of so many characters it tends to get confusing (I did got confused) but guess to keep the mystery more gripping it was required :) Also, putting in romantic angle for Samrat-Dimpy wasn't required since it was there we watched, if it wouldn't have been there it wouldn't have made much of difference...& thankfully it wasn't dragged much... :) :) Since as a audience the main focus remains on the case Samrat needs to solve so,like any other suspense film it didn't have much scope for music, except for the background music, & Of course "Sawalon me in", it was wonderful...would have loved to hear more of it ....Song in itself has a mysterious & chilling feel to it...
As a character Samrat is very much of a detective, intelligent, smart, & a very keen observer...not even a minute details escapes his eye... just a glance & he will know your past present & future... Best thing about Samrat is director & creative have not made him a filmy & heroic kind of character... even in the opening fight sequence more than muscle power it was all about brains coz physically Samrat was no where in competition with the fighter (Though the whole shot was a proper fan girl moment for me ^_^ ) Samrat solved the case more with brains....& with his instincts oops sorry (tcchhh) seventh sense!! ...
Rajeev as Samrat pulls off to manage Samrat convincingly enough...& practically carries film on himself in spite of presence of other characters who make their presence felt....As Samrat Rajeev makes you believe in him as a detective & as a Rajeev khandelwal fan its gonna be a treat to watch him...
Overall would give 3 out of 5...(tried to be as unbiased & non-comparative as possible) you would enjoy the film if you watch it with open mind...Don't watch it just for the heck of comparison or to rip the film apart & trash the film.... instead the efforts of writer, director, actors, production house to come up with something like this should be appreciated... The whole team deserves praise for introducing us to a new private investigator, I don't think Hindi films has any detective film in past many years... at least I have not seen it...
Once again Welcome the new detective "Samrat"
Idiotic direction
malojinaik-43-6190103 April 2021
Idiotic direction. Too long movie.. there should be something reasonable reason to praise the actor in detective movie for small small things praising him in entire movie... i liked role of Khalid(inspector) simple and elegant.
Sasta Sherlock
ankit-imsnoida16 April 2021
Samrat tries to copy Sherlock's personality but fails at it miserably. You can't dumb down a character like Sherlock for the general audience. It doesn't work. So therefore it's better to not do it!
Overall a below average movie!
Overall a below average movie!
samrat and co
deytanaya19904 September 2014
One of the great actors of bollywood is Rajeev Khandelwal .And his latest movie 'Samrat and Co' is one of the most fabulous movie I have ever seen. So all the negative reviews are nothing but just fake and paid. One should watch the movie. And then try to criticise it. I just love the movie and especially Rajeev khandelwal's performance. The songs of the movie especially 'taquila vaquila', 'sawalon mein yeh kaisi jindegi' , title track are just great. Madalsa is good but Rajeev's performance is far more better than her. Gopal Dutt is also good. And my review will be incomplete if I don't say anything about Sanjay Masoom's dialouges. It is just great. This is the very first time when I like his dialogues. Overall the 'Samrat and Co' is a wonderful movie. It is really worth watching.
'Samrat & Co.' does not unfold any 'Dilchasp Rahasya' (interesting mystery)
binducherungath2 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Read this review at http://moviereviewsbybinduc.blogspot.in/2014/05/samrat-co.html
The Plot: Samrat & Co., an Investigative Thriller movie, is an effort of the director Kaushik Ghatak to give India its Sherlock Holmes (and of course Watson as well). But somewhere the effort fizzles out.
Story of a case handled by Samrat Tilakdhari (Rajeev Khandelwal, erstwhile television heart-throb – Sach ka Samna, Kahin to Hoga fame), a detective who is extraordinarily observant man. He handles only those cases which give him a feeling of thrill and adventure. He wears trench- coat, derives inferences about people he has just met. But he utters his words so fast that as an audience, I could not comprehend half of them. His 'Watson' Chakradhar aka CD (Gopal Datt), calls Samrat STD (Sharp Teekhi Drishti) and hosts a programme called Chakradhar ka Chakraview.
Dimpy Singh (Madalsa Sharma) arrives at the doorstep of Samrat. Before Dimpy could even speak out the reason behind her visit, Samrat spells out breathlessly about Dimpy and her background and in the process impresses her. Dimpy had a strange case for Samrat i.e. both her garden and her father Mahendra Pratap Singh (Girish Karnad) are suffering after the death of a gardener, followed by the premature death of a horse. Flowers don't bloom in her garden, and Mahendra Pratap Singh's mental health is deteriorating. He is paranoid about lot many things. Dimpy wants Samrat to unfold the mystery behind these things.
Samrat decides to take up the case, and goes along with Dimpy to her palatial mansion in Shimla. There he meets Dimpy's brothers, elder one Sanjay Singh (Priyanshu Chatterjee), and the younger one Vijay Singh (Indraneil Sengupta). Sanjay welcomes Samrat whereas Vijay did not approve of Samrat initially. A mysterious fire catches a tree (the fire looked absolutely animated and artificial). Mahendra Pratap Singh recognizes Samrat as detective and warns him so as to stay just as Dimpy's friend and not as a detective in the house.
Thereafter, lots of characters are introduced: Divya Singh (Shreya Narayan) – undergoing psychiatric treatment, Narayani Dave (Smita Jaykar as wife of Mahendra Pratap Singh), Revati Singh (Barkha Bisht), manager Deepak (Rajneesh Duggal), Puran Kaka (Ravi Jhankal), Maid Shanti, a Kleptomaniac (Puja Gupta), Hari (Navin Prabhakar), Satyadev Baba (Ramgopal Bajaj), Bhaumik Sampat (Inspector Khalid), Pradeep Welankar (DGP Arjun) etc.
Mahendra Pratap is found murdered in his room and the main suspect is Vijay, the younger son, who is accused of smothering his dad to death. Samrat tries to get to the depth of this murder, but then what ensues is series of mysterious deaths. Many characters mentioned above turn out to be the suspects as well.
Did Vijay actually kill his father ? Why there were more suspects? Was it a group attempt ? What were the logics which made the suspects the 'suspects' in Samrat's eyes ? How did Samrat reach the actual murderer ? What were the motives of the murderer (s) ? Watch the movie to seek the answers.
Cast and their Performance: Rajeev Khandelwal is a very intense actor and he has given great performances in the past. But he has not given a power-packed performance in this movie. His dialogue delivery is at such fast pace (probably to justify his STD image), but does not go very well.
Nothing much to mention about other cast. Girish Karnad, another great actor, is completely wasted in this movie.
The Plot: Samrat & Co., an Investigative Thriller movie, is an effort of the director Kaushik Ghatak to give India its Sherlock Holmes (and of course Watson as well). But somewhere the effort fizzles out.
Story of a case handled by Samrat Tilakdhari (Rajeev Khandelwal, erstwhile television heart-throb – Sach ka Samna, Kahin to Hoga fame), a detective who is extraordinarily observant man. He handles only those cases which give him a feeling of thrill and adventure. He wears trench- coat, derives inferences about people he has just met. But he utters his words so fast that as an audience, I could not comprehend half of them. His 'Watson' Chakradhar aka CD (Gopal Datt), calls Samrat STD (Sharp Teekhi Drishti) and hosts a programme called Chakradhar ka Chakraview.
Dimpy Singh (Madalsa Sharma) arrives at the doorstep of Samrat. Before Dimpy could even speak out the reason behind her visit, Samrat spells out breathlessly about Dimpy and her background and in the process impresses her. Dimpy had a strange case for Samrat i.e. both her garden and her father Mahendra Pratap Singh (Girish Karnad) are suffering after the death of a gardener, followed by the premature death of a horse. Flowers don't bloom in her garden, and Mahendra Pratap Singh's mental health is deteriorating. He is paranoid about lot many things. Dimpy wants Samrat to unfold the mystery behind these things.
Samrat decides to take up the case, and goes along with Dimpy to her palatial mansion in Shimla. There he meets Dimpy's brothers, elder one Sanjay Singh (Priyanshu Chatterjee), and the younger one Vijay Singh (Indraneil Sengupta). Sanjay welcomes Samrat whereas Vijay did not approve of Samrat initially. A mysterious fire catches a tree (the fire looked absolutely animated and artificial). Mahendra Pratap Singh recognizes Samrat as detective and warns him so as to stay just as Dimpy's friend and not as a detective in the house.
Thereafter, lots of characters are introduced: Divya Singh (Shreya Narayan) – undergoing psychiatric treatment, Narayani Dave (Smita Jaykar as wife of Mahendra Pratap Singh), Revati Singh (Barkha Bisht), manager Deepak (Rajneesh Duggal), Puran Kaka (Ravi Jhankal), Maid Shanti, a Kleptomaniac (Puja Gupta), Hari (Navin Prabhakar), Satyadev Baba (Ramgopal Bajaj), Bhaumik Sampat (Inspector Khalid), Pradeep Welankar (DGP Arjun) etc.
Mahendra Pratap is found murdered in his room and the main suspect is Vijay, the younger son, who is accused of smothering his dad to death. Samrat tries to get to the depth of this murder, but then what ensues is series of mysterious deaths. Many characters mentioned above turn out to be the suspects as well.
Did Vijay actually kill his father ? Why there were more suspects? Was it a group attempt ? What were the logics which made the suspects the 'suspects' in Samrat's eyes ? How did Samrat reach the actual murderer ? What were the motives of the murderer (s) ? Watch the movie to seek the answers.
Cast and their Performance: Rajeev Khandelwal is a very intense actor and he has given great performances in the past. But he has not given a power-packed performance in this movie. His dialogue delivery is at such fast pace (probably to justify his STD image), but does not go very well.
Nothing much to mention about other cast. Girish Karnad, another great actor, is completely wasted in this movie.
Superb Performance by Rajiv
monilhariya17 January 2015
Great Finding of bollywood is Rajeev Khandelwal.Superb Performance by all Star Cast but specially Rajiv.. Felt good that Rajshri promote such movies.. Good Going.. With you guys.. Sorry to Post late.. Awaiting for 2nd Part.. Story was griping, smooth flowing, location was good, background score was perfect, camera angle almost perfect.. Applause for Director and this team... Rajiv is maturing by every cinema he does... Do more cinema or Theater so we can watch your performance.. And my review will be incomplete if I don't say anything about Sanjay Masoom's dialouges. It is just great. This is the very first time when I like his dialogues. Overall the 'Samrat and Co' is a wonderful movie. It is really worth watching.
Quite Predictable
devilindisguise-4853523 August 2019
Though the "desi Sherlock" tries to take you for a ride with a few red herrings, the endgame is quite predictable from the first half an hour of the movie itself. If you're an avid watcher of thrillers, you might end up disappointed. Though Rajeev Khandelwal has done a decent job as usual, the story doesn't do justice to his potential.
This movie is torture.
shindeshivam-8923313 June 2021
Detectively Awesome
neha_130726 April 2014
One of the best detective movie made in India. There are very few detective movies that are made in India. Samrat and Co is unique in all regards. Awesome Dialogues. This is a Movie which not only provokes you to think but also makes you laugh now and then. It is a fast paced movie. I would recommend it as "Must watch". Sweet, Light, Intriguing:). Watch out for Watson aka CD he will help you to relax your facial muscles with his one liners :). Chemistry between STD and CD is superb:). The only drawback of the movie is the heroine. she looks very plastic but thankfully she does not have much to do. "Tch" signature of STD will totally make you go mad.
Too much of drama in a detective film
docnavneetgoyal10 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
First and the foremost, Badjatya family please dont make any thriller film. It doesnt suite your expertise. Secondly, the character CD is the worst namuna.
The actress is always in makeup and short skirts even in her worst times. The music is extraordinarily pathetic. The only and only good thing about this movie is that it has a good story line and the main lead actor Khandelwal.
May be a one time watch, but that CD has totally spoilt the movie.
Waiting for the next part
sqwsmjbry30 March 2021
Not up to mark
vingredude28 January 2021
I watched first time and believe me its so slow and story stelling is pathetic.. not enjoyed that level While watching never thrilled that suspense not even at climax! So overall 5 out of 10.
Just a watch for time pass or time waste.
Low budget and ineffective suspense thriller
DonUltimate21 May 2021
The story of the movie is just average with below average direction and acting. There was no need of making movie this slow and long to fill in 2 hours. Puzzles are too easy to guess which they have shown as complicated to crack. Some unrealistic or bane action scenes are there but not much. Unlike other mystery thriller movies, this movie doesn't hold the grip or build much suspense. Although story is difficult to guess not because it's a good mystery but because of poor and confusing story. If you like good suspense thriller Bollywood movies, don't watch this one.
Cannot believe that how all actors suck in a movie. Rajeev Khandelwal did an average role of lead. Tried to copy Sherlock character from Sherlock show and Shawn from TV show Psych. The role of lead's partner Gopal Dutt try to be unnecessarily funny. The actions look unrealistic and far fetched in the movie. While his intuitions and observations for small unnecessary stuff was exceptional, he really sucked when he was working on finding real mystery. I know it's not a big movie but even the liquid they used for blood looks very ketchapy and not real. Poor direction and screenplay. One time watch movie if you don't have anything else to watch.
Cannot believe that how all actors suck in a movie. Rajeev Khandelwal did an average role of lead. Tried to copy Sherlock character from Sherlock show and Shawn from TV show Psych. The role of lead's partner Gopal Dutt try to be unnecessarily funny. The actions look unrealistic and far fetched in the movie. While his intuitions and observations for small unnecessary stuff was exceptional, he really sucked when he was working on finding real mystery. I know it's not a big movie but even the liquid they used for blood looks very ketchapy and not real. Poor direction and screenplay. One time watch movie if you don't have anything else to watch.
Amazing
dapindersingh-6869725 June 2020
Really disappointin
mywayisgr9 April 2020
It started well the way Rajeev portrayed in the beginning but after that it just doomed in, the way it is shot it lacks plot ,The direction of the movie is also weird with average acting of all characters, don't waste your time on this movie if you see Hollywood suspense thrillers.its nothing if we compare it to drishyam.
Very good movie but could have been the best had the climax not ruined it
shethviral110 July 2015
This is one of the best movies of 2014. The last half an hour was a little disappointing. Otherwise it would have been THE best movie of 2014. The story and the plot is very very gripping. Once you start this movie, you can't just leave your seat. I see a little style of Arthur Conan Doyle in this movie. Except for Rajiv Khandewal and Girish Karnad, acting is not that great. But the plot and the story compensates for it. For me the most disappointing part was the last half an hour where the story loosens the grip by showing the hero saving the heroine who was driving a car with a speed bomb planted in it. This is repeated in 100s of Hindi movies since 1970. If you can digest this scene, the rest of the movie is wonderful.
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