Kolkata, Dec 21 (IANS) Feluda, Bengal's favourite detective penned by maestro Satyajit Ray in the 1970s, returned to the big screen Friday after nearly four years, evoking mass nostalgia among generations who grew up on the sparkling wit of the strapping and refined middle-class private investigator.

Filmmaker Sandip Ray, son of Satyajit Ray, is back with his father's detective Feluda series novel 'Kailashe Kelenkari' (1974), subtitled in English as 'A Killer in Kailash'.

Four years have passed since Sandip's earlier film on his father's Feluda series of detective thrillers, 'Bombaiyer Bombetey', was a big box office hit in West Bengal.

The Feluda-crazy Bengali audience are again queuing up Friday to buy tickets for 'Kailashe Kelenkari', a film shot in the Ellora Caves of Maharashtra.

''Kailashe Kelenkari' is one of the earliest Feluda stories my father wrote and I was a bit sceptical about putting it on film. But my producers egged me on,' said Sandip.

The story revolves around the blatant smuggling and illegal trading in ancient sculptures across the country. Detective Feluda steps in to solve the crime and nab the culprits.

'My father's Feluda series has a massive readership so most of those who will watch the film have already read the original novel. But it will still draw them to the theatres because they are curious to see the action on a moving film, which adds to the excitement and thrill spelt out through the written word. I have already experienced this when 'Bombaiyer Bombetey' became a bit hit,' Sandip added.

While Feluda's character is played by noted Tollywood actor Sabyasachi Chakraborty, upcoming Bengali actor Parambrata Chatterjee essays the role of Topshe, the assistant and nephew of Feluda, who along with the endearingly misinformed Lalmohanbabu or Lalmohon Ganguly completes the Feluda adventures.

Lalmohonbabu, who is also known as the run-of-the-mill thriller writer Jatayu, the sidekick of Feluda, is played by Bibhu Bhattacharya.

'I always enjoyed doing Feluda's character. There was no workshop. The only workshop was to follow Sandip Ray. Any good actor can excel under him,' said Sabyasachi.

'The book was written in the 1970s and since then there has been huge technological advancement. We have updated Feluda - or the suave private investigator Prodosh Mitter. I think Feluda can be updated. You cannot update Sherlock Holmes because he was from a different period altogether but you can take liberties with Feluda,' said Sandip.

'For Feluda series film I have to be always a bit extra cautious. I know Feluda has such a huge fan following. The dialogues are more or less same but you know since the 1970s technology has changed. There was no cell phone during the time the book was written,' he added.

While actor Sashi Kapoor - a misfit for the role evidently - had played Feluda in a television series earlier, the Bengali audience always loved veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee as Feluda for his brooding expressions and refinement.

So comparisons are inevitable for Sabyasachi since Soumitra had immortalised Feldua films like 'Sonar Kella' and 'Joi Baba Felunath' in the 1970s under the direction of Satyajit Ray.

'I never tried to follow an actor of Soumitra's calibre. I have done it in my own way and I hope the audience will love their Feluda,' Sabyasachi said.

When Satyajit Ray was a student of arts at Santiniketan, his teacher, noted painter Nandalal Bose gave him a letter after Ray wished to visit the famous Ellora caves to sketch and draw the sculptures and the murals.

Ray was so fascinated with the beauty of the Kailash temple in the caves that it came back to him when he penned his crime thriller.