Knock-knock jokes come with two things. One, the banal detective-ish pursuit of an elusive pun, and two, the chuckle of appreciation — or groan of despair — that inevitably follows. Quick, childish, silly happiness, that truly makes you wonder: wait, who's on the other side of the door? The Eken franchise has been doing exactly that. With every film, it brings back memories of colourful Anandamela covers, and that one uncle Podger who stubbornly refuses to grow up, and embarrasses us at get-togethers with rehashed ‘dad jokes’. At the same time, it keeps you briefly engaged in a guessing game, a wink to the whodunit genre without bowing down to its conventions. And among them, The Eken: Benaras-ey Bibhishikha (TEBB) might just be the best so far.
These films aren’t meant to be dissected through the lens of Dupin-esque ratiocination or with the Bengali magajastra. If superheroes can wear baseball caps and go undercover, Belal Malik, TEBB’s shape-shifting villain, can also put on a beard and raise no suspicions when head-on with the sleuth. It’s a staging that is deliberately meant to downplay the seriousness of disguises. In fact, the protagonist, Ekendra Sen has no outright desire to nudge himself into the detective canon. Rather, he insists, almost petulantly, on subverting it, challenging the self-seriousness of the cerebral magajastra itself.
TEBB isn’t about the thrill of the chase, but about the tickle of the pickle (shoutout to Eken’s untimely appetite for chaats). The joy of the franchise is in its deliberate lightness. It doesn’t aspire to be a mind-bending thriller, and that’s its core strength. The whodunit here is never weighted with unbearable stakes. Keeping aside its deliberately simple plot, this film shines as what it was always meant to be – a relentless, family entertainer. The resounding box office opening, despite previous OTT popularity, is testament to that.
So, what works well in this particular chaat? First, Benaras or Kashi (coughs). Closer to home than Jaisalmer’s golden fortress, Benaras is not just a visually extravagant backdrop, but also a breathing, immersive, ancient enigma. Narrow alleys, saffron flags, smoke spirals from ghats, and temple bells — all become part of the sensory tapestry that lends unexpected texture to an expected flow of events. Tuban’s cinematography respects the chaos of the place, without overwhelming us with postcard visuals. It's grounded, not gawky. In Benaras, some come searching for moksha, or for God, and some others for riddles. And yet, every Bengali cinephile is engaged in a side-eyed pursuit of Machhli Baba. The touching tribute in the final scene subtly reminds us that Anirban Chakrabarti is now, quite literally, a thread back to our beloved 'Felunath'.
Imagine the tightrope walk — two roles, similar in essence, separated by canon and time. While Ekendra may be more systematised and socially adept than Lalmohan Babu, his humour is still cut from the same cloth. There’s an undeniable warmth to Anirban Chakrabarti’s work in TEBB, the kind that neither relies on excessive quirks, nor forced eccentricities. He brings restraint and finesse to what could have easily become slapstick. As a fellow actor barely two films in, I found myself scribbling mental notes, admiring the ease with which Anirban Chakrabarti commands both laughter, empathy and admiration.
Equally commendable are Suhotra Mukherjee and Somak Ghosh as Bapi and Pramatha — Eken’s loyal companions — who, despite their “sidekick” tag, hold attention in key moments. Their comic timing/reactions are tight, and it’s their dynamic with Eken that feels lived-in and fresh, even by the third film. There is an inherent likability to this trio – like three cousins who took a detour from a family trip, and tumbled down the adventure trail. That easy-going camaraderie is the emotional glue of the film. The three franchise characters have a layered canon backing their motives. On the other hand, the new characters are placed as functional set-pieces. It is perhaps the merit of the film that leaves us wanting to know more about them. The supporting cast, though not deeply fleshed out, adds flavours to the narrative rather than distracting from it. The chameleon-terrorist Belal Malik (Saswata Chatterjee) and Biswanath Basu are at the very top. Written as ‘smaller’ roles, the two seasoned actors expectedly stand out, affixing eyeballs whenever they appear.
Saswata Chatterjee plays Belal with calculated coolness, and yet you wish there was more of him. Designed as an international criminal with a unique modus operandi, Belal is intriguing but underexplored. Who doesn’t love a good antagonist with a compelling backstory and conflicted motivations? But it begs the question – does this film need that? Perhaps not. After all, Rastapopoulus was plain evil!
Gaurav Chakrabarty (Subimal) and Ishaa Saha (Damini) – two personal favourites — bring a low-key elegance that supports the film’s tone. Gaurav, with his understated charisma, gradually unravels his complicity with measure. Ishaa, photogenic as always, had the tougher task with the thick accent, but powered through nevertheless. Sagnik Chatterjee, especially with his baritone, makes the rough-and-tough police officer memorable, acting as a perfect foil to Eken. The ‘star cast’ feels deliberately curated, each actor a gear in the larger, humming machine. Behind the scenes, the technical team keeps the show running smoothly. Subhajit Singha’s editing ensures that the pace never sags, keeping the narrative light on its feet. Scenes shift like pages from a quick-read Pujabarshiki, and TEBB stands at an impressive and engaging one hour and 58 minutes duration.
Needless to say, Director Joydeep Mukherjee and writer Padmanava Dasgupta are the real architects here. Their vision treats humour not as garnish but as the main dish — intelligent, non-laboured, and deeply rooted in a Bengali cultural palette. The jokes don’t feel translated or patched on; they belong. From detailed meals to chase sequences, everything feels soaked in a very specific regional soul. It would be a category mistake to watch this film as just another detective story. The mystery, if one chooses to focus too hard, is indeed simplistic. But that’s the point! The Eken films aren’t about jaw-dropping twists or dark reveals. They are about revisiting the idea of the everyday detective — someone as obsessed with food and family as he is with clues and culprits.
There’s warmth in that intention. TEBB makes you smile because it knows how to be silly without being stupid. And sometimes, especially now, that’s more than enough. Carefully packaged nostalgia, ‘pjs’, solid performances, sharp narrative flow, and dollops of relatability. And it’s a raging success! That is where we land up with all that TEBB brings to our doorstep.
So let’s end where we began: Knock knock. Who’s there? Eken. Eken who? Eken do this all day — and honestly, I hope they-Eken do this again and again and Eken!