TE3N movie review: Amitabh Bachchan masters while Nawazuddin and Vidya succour in this 'whodunnit' thriller

Pic Courtesy: Movie Stills

We often expect a thriller to keep the audiences literally on tenterhooks. So, when a film usually crawls, it makes the viewer impatient. This is perhaps the only flaw in Ribhu Dasgupta's 'TE3N'. The film has been produced by 'Kahaani' fame producer Sujoy Ghosh, whose name was enough to raise our expectations from this genre-based venture.

Set in the backdrop of modern Kolkata, the story is largely about three people - Amitabh Bachchan as John Biswas, Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Father Martin Das / Inspector and Vidya Balan as Sarita Sarkar (the lady cop). Bachchan plays an old middle-class man, who is repeatedly trying to nab the kidnapper of his granddaughter Angela Roy.

She was kidnapped under mysterious circumstances, and his determination to get hold of the kidnapper makes John a ruminative personality. This tendency which is often seen as an old man's problem by others, finally makes him achieve what he wants to but in a way that will blow your mind.

So, the first half of 'TE3N' is all about how an old grand father is trying his best to do whatever he can in order to trace back an 8-year-old missing and murder case of his granddaughter. This is the time when Inspector Nawazuddin Siddiqui comes into the picture. A hard task master, who pushes himself beyond a point to grab the criminal by his collar somehow fails in solving the mystery—and then his guilt perhaps drives him onto becoming Father Martin.

But like they say, once a cop always a cop! Don't forget this while watching this thriller. Vidya Balan as Sarita is perfect as a resilient and gritty lady cop, who handles each tip off in a perfect manner. But the twist in this kahaani comes when another kidnapping takes place in the area and that too in a similar manner (remember Angela Roy?).

Although, 'TE3N' is based on Korean drama 'Montage', the screenplay by Suresh Nair, Ritesh Shah and Bijesh Jayarajan is worth mentioning and the background score by Clinton Cerejo is in sync with the genre. Dialogues by Ritesh Shah too have been written carefully keeping the background and setting in mind.

Yes, and the thriller picks up pace from thereon. It would be safe to say that if the first half gives you an urge to play the fast forward button then the second half will give you the much-needed adrenaline rush. You will be pushed to the edge of your seat while you almost eat your hands as the climax knocks you down.

All in all, Amitabh Bachchan will leave a lasting first impression in this flick while Nawazuddin Siddiqui excels in his dual job of a Father and an Inspector. Vidya Balan will remind you to not forget her 'Kahaani' performance, just as we know a sequel is in the pipeline.

So, go watch it because 'Karma plays its part' quite well!