The premise is fine and is set in the enigmatic state of Kolkata. But more than he can help John find his granddaughter's killer, he assists Sarita (Balan), a detective who is investigating a kidnap case eerily similar to the one he handled 8 years ago.
He seeks the help of Martin, who is now a padre at a local church after leaving police force and much more skilled at it. So he sets out, rather courageously and convincingly, racing back in time to decode what really happened. Presently, he has still not gotten over the incident and has resolved to attain justice, if not revenge. He had done all that he could to save the kid's life, including doing what he was told to do by the police, led by the unskilled detective Martin (Siddiqui). John (Bachchan) is an aged, grief-stricken man whose granddaughter was kidnapped and subsequently killed by an unknown man 8 years ago.
Ribhu Dasgupta's middling thriller is just that, plus a little slow. Since 2013, I'm sure I have seen at least 5 films that are based on the topic of self-righteous crime where the protagonist takes law into his own hands and embarks upon a journey to make peace with a certain crime that has affected his life.
On the whole, 'Te3n' isn't engrossing enough, nonetheless, it has some merit to earn itself a viewing. Sabyasachi Chakrabarty is terrific, as always. Nawaz brings subtlety to his part, while Vidya (Strangely Billed in a Guest Appearance, though she's there almost throughout the film), plays it straight as the no nonsense cop. Nawazuddin Siddiqui & Vidya Balan's characters aren't strongly written, but the actors make them worth watching. Right from his body language, to his ever searching eyes, the legend remains true to his character. Performance-Wise: Amitabh Bachchan delivers a sincere performance as the grieving protagonist. 'Te3n' is nicely shot, no two options on that! Editing is alright, the pace in the first-hour is slow. Cinematography Captures the essence of Kolkata, amazingly. The predictable second-hour spoils the fun. Frankly, the first-hour works, despite the problem of its pace, but the second-hour, despite fastness, lacks the bite. The second-hour unfolds on much speed, but as the final twist in the tale is revealed, the predictability wears you off. The mystery is nicely build up in the first-hour, although the sluggish pace does get bothersome. Its easy to sympathize with its aged protagonist & his never-ending quest to the find the culprit who took away his granddaughter from him, but a guilt-driven cop turned priest or a super cop for that matter, come across as cardboard characters.
'Te3n' is a tale of loss, redemption & revenge. The Performances are good, though! 'Te3n' Synopsis: A grieving grandfather (Amitabh Bachchan) after losing his granddaughter, in a kidnapping case 8 years back & unable to find the culprit, teams up with police officer (Vidya Balan) and a cop turned priest (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) when a similar kidnapping occurs. Director Ribhu Dasgupta succeeds in handing your attention, but only, in parts. A remake of 2013 South Korean movie Montage, 'Te3n' is a Well-Made Thriller, but its not engrossing enough.