What a beautiful movie!

good back-story, and good acting

Dreadfully Boring

The acting in this movie is really good.

Te3n is a movie that happens when Bollywood tries to recreate the magic of kahaani. The first half of the movie is extremely slow and one can't help but feel joy when the story reaches the interval. Once the story unfolds in the second half one doesn't seem to care about the kidnapping and the ending is disappointing to say the least. The acting is the only element that binds it together and Amitabh Sir and Nawaz have given brilliant performances. The chemistry between Vidya Balan and John is totally disconnected. I would go with 4 out of 10 because of the seniority of the actors but for busy working professionals it is better to give this a skip.

Although I had JUST seen the original (The Classified File- released in June 2015 in Korea) I still was clinging to my seat just based off the facts that Amitabh Bachchan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vidya Balan starred in it alone. I was totally excited to see 3 out of 4 of my favorite Indian actors included in this project.My only issue was I had wished that Vidya would have gotten a bigger part actually. Such an amazing performer.. Amitabh really out did himself as did Nawazuddin as per usual. This recreation sticks fairly close to the original only switching up in parts that I think "culturally" just made better sense..and that too is quite interesting as a outsider looking in as I was.Korean and Hindi film(Asian) are absolutely the two very best sources of quality films these days. I hardly even watch movies from here in the USA anymore, there are just so many beautifully crafted, wonderfully written story's to hear, see, and best of all , feel coming out of these wonderful regions compared what we currently get coming from Hollywood. I also suggest watching Korea's depiction of the story, the original. I would have to say its slightly got the edge due to the fact that ALL the characters are a bit more colorful and dynamic... Overall one of the very best pictures I have seen in last 12-16 months.. I will be owning a copy very soon!

The good: The movie, as the credits indicate, is derived at least partly from the Korean movie "Montage". The story is quite suspenseful and the director does a good job juggling between various interweaving stories and time periods. Performances from the lead actors are solid and little to fault there. The negatives: My main gripe with the movie is that it contains several idle moments which do not seem to serve much purpose to either the development of the plot or characters or the overall experience. Overall verdict: Otherwise, the script is solid and the movie is well worth a watch. It also continues the gradually building list of quality Hindi whodunits with West Bengal (more specifically Kolkata) as the backdrop after Kahaani and Byomkesh Bakshi. I would also recommend Baishe Srabon, an excellent thriller in Bengali language, for whodunit fans

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)Rating: 3/5 starsA thriller that hits multiple notes and evokes diverse emotions from a viewer during its 2-hour+ duration, Te3n is one of those movies that amazes you at times and frustrates you at others. It has the potential to keep you riveted at the edge of your seat, but it's content with making you sit attentively at most.From the opening scene itself, you feel like you could be in for a treat. The frail yet unmistakably imposing presence of Amitabh Bachchan as an old man, surveying a busy police precinct is exactly the type of scene that leaves the audience wondering – what could have happened? Enter Vidya Balan as the chief inspector, with a calm yet no- nonsense demeanor, who tries to comfort Bachchan for something tragic in his past that still haunts him; and the story is set up really well within the first 15 minutes itself.Bachchan plays John Biswas, a man who refuses to give up hope on finding the murderer of his only grandchild, even when all others around him – law-enforcers and family alike – have decided to move on. Eight years after the crime remains unsolved, John's intent and conviction of finding the culprit remains steadfast as ever. Almost like a man possessed with a single-minded focus, John's steely resolve goes unnoticed behind his meek, shabby, and harmless outlook. And nailing this multi-faceted complex character to the hilt is that old warhorse, the performer of all performers, the Big B. It's unbelievable how this man excels in every little nuance, every slight emotion; reinventing himself in each character he plays even without seeming like he's trying to. Just when you think what more can Amitabh offer on screen, along he comes with another act to marvel in awe. Additionally, his rendition of the song Kyun Re that plays in the background of one emotional scene is the icing on the cake. Two other songs also play in the background, but they hamper the narrative more than taking it forward.But this is no one-man show. Bachchan enlists Nawazuddin Siddiqui in his quest, regardless if he wishes to aid him or not. Nawaz plays Father Martin, an ex-cop turned priest, who was also, incidentally, the cop in charge of rescuing John's granddaughter all those years ago. He leaves the force as a result of the severe mental trauma experienced when he couldn't save the kid in time. Though he seeks the priesthood as an outlet to find peace and move on, John isn't quite ready to let him retire to a life of prayer and service just yet.However, when another kidnapping occurs eight years later, with exactly the same M.O. as John's granddaughter's case, it's exactly the stimulant Martin needs to spring back into action. And spring back he does because this is Nawaz we're talking about. He plays the perfect foil to Bachchan's meatier character, and together, the two play off each other admirable to set us on a wild goose chase. Sandwiched between them is Balan as the cop in charge of the current case, and she's like the mayonnaise that makes the sandwich all the more scrumptious. In fact, Balan has got a substantial supporting role in Te3n, and why she's credited with a guest appearance is best left answered to the makers themselves. Both Balan and Nawaz are at the top of their game. The only thing is that they come up against a veteran, who's not only got a much meatier role, but has years more experience behind him.So, if everything works so smoothly, what's the issue, you may ask. Well, that's the thing – if things only move along so smoothly, it's because these three actors ensure that they rise above the narrative whenever it threatens to steer off-course. Though Te3n is based on a brilliant Korean film called Montage, what separates the two is the pace and the handling of intricate portions. Director Ribhu Dasgupta does a fine job as long as he's moving the thriller along by the numbers. But the moment the screenplay (well adapted by Suresh Nair, Ritesh Shah, and Bijesh Jayarajan) demands that he looks at things with a complex eye, the inconsistencies in the flow become too evident to overlook. Plus, he decides to play such scenarios by dropping the pace to almost a crawl, wherein he muddles the difference between a slow-burning thriller and just a slow thriller. Also, the big twist that comes in the end satisfies you without exactly leaving you stunned, which would have been fine had Dasgupta not set up the story for an earth-shattering revelation. And that's where the performances of Te3n become all the more crucial to keeping you interested in what's going on.Te3n may not be the thriller you're expecting, but it still is a thriller that you'd be content walking away from. It had the potential to be so much more, but, thankfully, it at least does enough with that potential to leave a good enough impression on you. With its performances and some suspenseful scenes that hit the mark, Te3n will make for a decent trip to the cinema this weekend.