Eken Babu is back, and this time, the beloved sleuth with a penchant for bad puns finds himself in the holy city of Benaras, grappling with a mystery far darker than usual. The Eken: Benaras E Bibhishika, directed by Joydeep Mukherjee, and based on Sujan Dasgupta’s popular detective series, is a brisk, entertaining ride that blends suspense with comedy while paying homage to Satyajit Ray’s Joi Baba Felunath.
Anirban Chakrabarti once again dons the signature hat and quirky charm of Eken Babu with effortless ease. His portrayal — equal parts exasperating and endearing — is the glue that holds the narrative together. What sets this instalment apart is the higher emotional and narrative stakes: a terrorist plot threatens to upend the sanctity of Benaras, and it’s up to Eken and his trusted friends, Pramatha (Somak Ghosh) and Bapi (Suhotra Mukhopadhyay), to foil it in time.
The film wastes no time in immersing the viewer in its plot. Eken and company visit their old acquaintance Subimal (Gaurav Chakrabarty) in Benaras. Subimal’s uncle Bireshwar (Debesh Chattopadhyay) has a penchant for collecting paintings and pendants, but suspects that items from his collection are missing. Subimal and his aunt Damini (Ishaa Saha) are suspects, and so is Bireshawr’s CA Samiran (Rishav Basu).
Even as Eken Babu tries to solve this mystery, he is drawn into the anti-terror investigation by the local police. A terror conspiracy led by the enigmatic and slippery Belal, played with theatrical flair by Saswata Chatterjee, has possible links to the antique shop where Bireshwar buys his pendants from. False leads, and high-stakes chases through the alleys and ghats of Benaras follow, keeping the viewer on the edge of their seats.
Joydeep Mukherjee, who has helmed earlier Eken Babu adventures, delivers perhaps his most polished and compelling entry in the franchise. The direction is confident, the editing taut, and the narrative well-paced. Mukherjee pays subtle homage to Satyajit Ray’s Joi Baba Felunath — Belal sitting on the ghats of Ganga disguised as a sadhu, while a woman sings bhajans next to him, a late-night murder in a dimly-lit alley, Belal’s entry scene in a boat that would remind the viewer of Utpal Dutt’s Maganlal Meghraj, and many more. The last scene featuring Arjun, the knife thrower from Ray’s 1979 film, takes the cake.
Despite the gravity of the plot, the film never loses its breezy tone or wry humour. That balancing act is no small feat.
The film’s greatest strength, however, is Saswata Chatterjee. As the master of disguise, his Belal is menacing, unpredictable, and flamboyant — equal parts villain and performer. Watching him go toe-to-toe with Eken Babu, each operating from opposite ends of the eccentricity spectrum, is the film’s biggest pleasure.
Cinematographer Ramyadip Saha captures Benaras in all its paradoxes — its chaos and calm, its decay and divinity. From the Ganga’s glimmering ghats to the city’s labyrinthine lanes, every frame pulses with life. The city isn’t just a backdrop; it’s the beating heart of the film.
