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Battle of the Sherlocks
From books to movies and now web series, we find out what Sherlock Holmes means to different people on International Sherlock Holmes Day
It’s been 130 years since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave the world its favourite fictional detective. In all this time, we’ve seen Sherlock solve the biggest mysteries on paper and on celluloid, while giving valuable lessons on sass, sarcasm and secrecy. Sherlock’s fans extend beyond generations, each having a different face attached to the iconic character. In the run up to the International Sherlock Holmes day (May 22), four fans share their favourite version of the character with us and why:
Mom’s favourite English hero
My earliest recollection of the famed detective Sherlock Holmes was when we had The Hound of the Baskervilles as a textbook in school. I was privileged to have the world’s best English teacher Mrs Rani Chandran, who instilled a lifelong love of reading within me. Mrs Chandran brought Sherlock Holmes alive for us and some scenes are still riveted in my memory. I later bought a comic version of the same novel for my 13-year-old my daughter too. When I visited London many moons ago I was awed by the silhouette created at Baker Street station. I made sure I clicked one there for the memory book. - Upasana Mahtani Luthra (45), Book reviewer
Elementary vs Cumberbatch
My initiation into the world of Sherlock happened rather late in life, when I started watching the series Elementary. Sherlock to me is the quirky John Miller and Watson, thanks to the show, is Lucy Liu. Surprisingly, my husband also watches Sherlock but prefers the British series featuring Benedict Cumberbatch. For me that series is too dark and grim, Elementary on the other hand seems so much more real and relatable. Perhaps the British satire and sarcasm is lost on me. So we are two people who live in the same house and watch two different interpretations/treatment of the same thing. – Vidya Raja (32), , Lawyer
Imagining London
“There was no Internet access when I first met Sherlock as a school kid. I would look forward to coming back from school to home and immersing myself in their tales. The stories were addictive and without any Internet access or Hollywood encroachment, helped me imagine London of the 1800s. I found the Robert Downey Jr movie quite disappointing since it was more like a Bollywood masala movie! So, the book Sherlock will always be better than the movie.” – Anupam Yadav (30), Finance executive
Sarcasm and sass
I’ve read the Sherlock books growing up but when I think of the character now, only Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal comes to mind. The British accent, the sarcasm and sass make him the perfect Sherlock. The creators have done a great job in updating the setting of the show to make it suitable for 2017, which explains why me and most of my friends relate to this version of Sherlock the most. – Krishnan Narayanaswamy (25) , Consultant.
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From HT Brunch, May 21, 2017
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