Film review: Teen Thay Bhai

Cast Om Puri, Shreyas Talpade, Deepak Dobriyal, Yograj Singh, Ragini Khanna
Director Mrigdeep Singh Lamba
Rating G

Once upon a time there lived three brothers: Chiksi (Puri), Happy (Dobriyal) and Fancy (Talpade). They are all leading rather dull, isolated lives until one day their grandfather’s death unites them in the most unexpected way.

Lamba selects a simple tale about brotherhood that despite its minor snags does tug, rather strongly, at the heartstrings.

An inheritance deal finds the brothers forced to live in the old man’s rickety mansion. An easy proposition for a pot of cash in return, no doubt, but one that poses a huge challenge for this intolerable trio, who bicker and fight constantly.

Despite three stalwarts hogging the limelight, the flimsy lines weaken the madness considerably. Making the youngest sibling say, “this is Big Brother’s Punjabi version” doesn’t merit much thought or even laughs. It shows a complete disregard for the comic staple of witty punchlines, creating an obvious void. In fact, a tighter edit, eliminating an unnecessary jig on the snow-capped hills and other musical sojourns, would’ve gone a long way in winning more credibility.

Lamba’s central characters, however, make it worthwhile. Puri’s undoubtedly the best of the lot. He’s effortlessly amusing as the tacky, loud-mouthed Chiksi, lending his character a rustic charm.

His on-screen siblings – Happy and Fancy – also match up substantially. While Dobriyal’s sensitive portrayal of the lovelorn Happy, indulging in “shifting pain” tactics during his unsuccessful dental career, is captivating, and it’s Talpade’s Fancy and his English imperfections, misusing similar sounding words (infection for affection) that makes him the most appealing.

Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s debut production is a fair attempt, but it requires significant finetuning.