PremiumTunkulung E Eken review: Anirban Chakrabarti brings back the old charm in new season
While it is over-simplistic and repeats its traits, it is still comforting to watch Anirban Chakrabarti and his team running around with his quirks.
Last Updated: 05.24 PM, Dec 15, 2023
Story: Eken Babu (Anirban Chakrabarti), Bapi (Suhotra Mukhopadhyay) and Promotho (Somak Ghosh) go to a Nepali village, Tunkulung, for a holiday. Honorary king Shyam Sundar Rana meets Eken Babu and asks him to find his murderer if he is killed. The Bengali sleuth also meets Sumit Rana (Debraj Bhattacharya) – Shyam Sundar Rana’s nephew and Binoy Pradhan (Satyam Bhattacharya) – Rana’s adopted son.
Review: Eken Babu is not one of the sharpest detective novels. It is not known to be built on tight logic, smart detection, and realistic investigation. While the main character is a cop by profession, he seldom behaves like one. Despite all of this, Eken Babu is a comfort watch. It is easy and breezy and definitely a favourite among children. Season seven is no exception. It is dotted with logical lacuna and yet one watches all episodes in no time.
The plot is weak and after a while you know who is the culprit. The execution is also not something to die for. But overall, it is fun. Tunkulung E Eken has its usual humour and simplicity. The lead character’s idiosyncrasies are well-tested. While some jokes fall flat, many of them land perfectly well among the audience. It goes without saying that a major credit for making Eken Babu a success story goes solely to Anirban and he is as vibrant as usual. Many of the Eken Baby fans watch it just because of him. Suhotra and Somak are perfect associates of this quasi-crazy detective.
Meanwhile, Satyam and Debraj are the high points in this series. Satyam as Binoy is perfect. The character’s reservations and restraints are masterfully captured by the actor. Debraj is also effortless as theatre worker Sumit. He has perfected the gesture and accent of the locals. However, his reactions in the end are unconvincing. Without giving any spoilers, it is safe to say that this faulty bit is more due to the lacuna in the script than the actor. Satyam, on the other hand, champions the ending.
This season is shot in a picturesque hilly location in North Bengal. The Bengali entertainment industry heavily depends on that area. However, in this series, there is a blend of hilltop areas and lush green Dooars that is vibrant after monsoon. It has the usual soundtrack. There is no experiment in there. While the use of the same musical palette has its recall value, it also makes it a bit monotonous.
Verdict: Eken Babu serves its purpose of entertaining its target audience. While it is over-simplistic and repeats its traits, it is still comforting to watch Anirban Chakrabarti and his team running around with his quirks.