5 Reasons Why TE3N Leaves You With Mixed Feelings

If you too were amongst those who probably were expecting the Kahaani magic to spread all over again with Sujoy Ghosh’s freshest production TE3N, we guess you were also perhaps let down a little with its overall impact. The film despite with its share of positives doesn’t quite scale the heights it could have, given the richness it attributed in all departments.

Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta who you may not have heard of before, TE3N is a story of a grandfather unlocking the mystery behind the death and kidnapping of his granddaughter 'Angela' 8 years back. Closely associated with the incident is a cop turned priest who’s now seeking redemption along with a lady cop seeking justice.

Everything put in a prospect, TE3N appears to be a well-made taut thriller from the outset, yet when you come out of it, there’s an unsatisfactory element controlling your minds. It’s like going to your favorite restaurant to eat your most favored dish, but the taste wasn’t just what you were longing for.

Here are five reasons why TE3N will leave you with mixed feelings:

Slow Pace

All offbeat thrillers take their own time to sort of build up its premise and let it grow on you. But when you find yourself struggling to connect bits and pieces of narration to make some sense in the second half, you know how the pace of the film has fared. Despite a potentially thrilling plot, the sluggish pace and dragging treatment hamper its overall run. Even the high points in the movie do not end up being enough to make up for its dragging run.

Performances

Could we in the wildest of our dreams have thought of these actors not delivering worthy performances? Guess not. With the likes of Bachchans and Siddiques and Vidyas, TE3N was always bound to be a film rich in the context of performances. Amitabh Bachchan is absolutely riveting as a helpless old man hoping to connect dots and that only affirms he’s still the best bet we have when it comes to pulling off such roles.

Vidya who was bizarrely credited as a guest appearance has a full-fledged role and she’s suited to the role she’s playing here.

Nawaz however walks away being the best written character of the lot and he does full justice to it. He is both guilt ridden and obliging that puts him in the best of form to carry this character of Father Martin.

Predictable

TE3N’s biggest failure unfortunately lies in the fact that despite being loaded as an extremely complex thriller, the climax and pre climax do not really surprise you. It’s becoming predictable by its end course is what tells you that TE3N hasn’t fully succeeded in being a potential taut thriller. There are several high points in the narrative and when you squeeze all of it together, the residue isn’t quite what you thought it would be.

Impressive Cinematography

TE3N is laced with some impressive camera work and fine technical inputs. The locales of Kolkata are spiritually captured and showcase fine colors. The cinematography alone builds enough tension around the narrative and stylishly worked production design plays an enhancement.

Falls Below Expectations

As much as you want to show your patronage to this fading thriller drama, it ultimately doesn’t provide you enough ammunition to make you sit through a good time. At almost a 160 minutes, it is too long for a thriller and some strict tightness in the script would have only made some difference. Yes, the performances are lovely, yes the premise has potential but is its sluggish pace good enough to make up for all that? Not quite I suppose!

TE3N doesn’t go without its share of positives and if you’re willing to avoid all that and give it a go, chances are you may not end up being too disappointed. If not, go through the article all over again and you will make up your mind.