The Indian Detective is a Canadian comedy-drama starring Russell Peters in the lead role. Peters plays Doug D'Mello a constable on the Toronto police force. The problem is that Doug is a bit over-enthusiastic and not exactly great at his job.
On a tip-off D'Mello and his partner Robyn Gerner stop a truck coming over the Canadian border, suspecting that it is full of heroin. When the raid turns up nothing except some kids bikes, D'Mello becomes a laughing stock. His incompetence means a one-month suspension and so he uses the time to visit his father in Mumbai, India. There he inadvertently gets involved with solving a murder, alongside his upstairs neighbour, a lawyer called Priya.
But solving that murder links him to the heroin smuggling operation in Toronto and soon Doug is busy connecting all that dots that link the two countries.
The thing about The Indian Detective is that it is really funny. Doug D'Mello is hilarious as a born and bred Canadian navigating his way around Mumbai, despite having Indian parents. The banter and comic timing is spot on, particularly with Anupam Kher who plays Doug's father, and Meren Reddy who plays a Mumbai police inspector.
Despite only having four episodes the plot is well thought out and each mini-story connects to the overall story of bringing down a drug empire. It's a clever show that brings the laughs but also does the crime drama element justice.
The Indian Detective whizzes by and I really was hoping for a season 2, if only because the ending hinted at one. That said, while Peters stated he was working on it, it hasn't yet gone into production. So if you're happy with a quirky, light-hearted four-part show the check out The Indian Detective. Alternatively, for another short-lived detective show, check out The Good Cop.