Nothing elementary about it

Rasika Dugal and Srijit Mukherj

What would an Indian Sherlock Holmes be like? Would he be Satyajit Ray's Feluda or Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay's Byomkesh Bakshi? Guess we'll know when Srijit Mukherji's Shekhar Home, which sees Kay Kay Menon portray the iconic detective, streams later this year. For now, Rasika Dugal, who steps into the role of Irene Adler in the mystery drama, tells us that Shekhar Home is fresh and fun. "I finished the shoot by mid-2023, but Srijit and the team had two more episodes to go, which they finished by December. This is a challenge because it's hard to please Sherlock fans. Like everyone else, while growing up, I read the Sherlock Holmes series on and off. I am a huge fan of the Benedict Cumberbatch series, but our show is not a take on it. What it attempts is to bring to the table the same authenticity and finesse of storytelling. As someone who knows many Cumberb'tches, I hope we have fared well," the actor laughs.

Lara Pulver played Irene Adler in Benedict Cumberbatch's show

Dugal is thrilled that the upcoming series gave her the chance to work with the National Award-winning director. She says, "We spoke so much over the years about [possible collaborations], but none of them materialised. I guess this was waiting to happen. My character Irene is sharp. She is constantly outsmarting Sherlock, so that play was interesting."