A wacky sense of humour, a lot of self-confidence and a knack for getting into trouble. TeniDa — Narayan Gangopadhyay’s iconic literary character — had come to life four-and-a-half decades ago in Umanath Bhattacharya’s Charmurti and Chinmoy Roy’s portrayal of TeniDa in the film has since stayed etched in our minds.

Sayantan Ghosal’s TeniDa and Company is a modern take on Gangopadhyay’s quaint characters, made as a thriller blending suspense and comedy, with Kanchan Mullick playing TeniDa, the leader of a pack of boys who is good at heart but not as smart as he thinks he is.

Based on Gangopadhyay’s novel Jhau Bunglowr Rahasya, TeniDa and Company is set in 2017 but TeniDa and his gang are still the lifeline of Potoldanga, a neighbourhood in north Kolkata. TeniDa and his companions in this film — Kyabla (Gaurav Chakrabarty), Hablu (Sourav Saha) and Pyala (Soumendra Bhattacharya) — are nothing like Gangopadhyay’s characters but are delightful nonetheless.

During a vacation in Darjeeling, the group of four comes across a scientist, Satkari Santra (Sabyasachi Chakrabarty), who wants Kyabla (who is a research scholar in chemistry) to help him develop a chemical that will solve the climate change crisis. But an international criminal wants to steal the formula and so TeniDa and team have to keep Dr Santra and his invention safe.

You are stumped as to why the plot of a film titled TeniDa and Company revolves around Kyabla while TeniDa is pushed to the sidelines. Unlike in the novels, Kyabla here is suave, urbane and also has a good academic record. Although the gang calls TeniDa their leader, when it comes to making decisions at crucial points or solving a crisis, it’s Kyabla who always takes the lead.

Kanchan uses his decades-worth of experience in comedy to make TeniDa endearing. While it’s a tough act to match Chinmoy Roy’s impeccable comic timing and vibrant personality in Charmurti, Kanchan does leave a mark despite going over the top on certain occasions.

The camaraderie and chemistry between the characters is the driving force behind TeniDa and Company. Both Sourav and Soumendra deliver on that count. Gaurav carries the good-boyish charm, well suited for his role. Sabyasachi adds gravity to his role along with measured comedy. Ridhima Ghosh, too, stands out in her cameo appearance as Satkari’s daughter. The scene where she pretends to be a ghost to scare TeniDa and his friends will leave you in splits.

Director Sayantan Ghosal, who has previously delivered suspense thrillers like Jawker Dhan and Alinagarer Golokdhadha, maintains a steady pace in the narrative and ensures that the jokes land effortlessly. Visually, TeniDa and Company captures the essence of Darjeeling and its rolling hills beautifully.

When all is said and done, the film fails to deliver on the nostalgic quotient. Sayantan’s TeniDa does mumble ‘De la grande Mephistopheles! Yak yak!’ occasionally, like the character from the book, but it doesn’t strike the same chord.