TC.GN: Take Care Good Night review – Taut cyber thriller that also deals with societal change

Though filmmakers have been exploring unconventional subjects in Marathi cinema since the new wave began in 2003 with Shwaas, the thriller has not been explored as much.

This year seems to be different, however. After the hit Aapla Manus, first-time director Girish Jayant Joshi’s TC.GN: Take Care Good Night takes the genre forward.

Just like the Nana Patekar starrer, this one, too, isn’t a mere thriller. But this does not mean the two films are similar. While Aapla Manus revolved around an accident, TC.GN is about cyber crime.

The film revolves around Avinash (Sachin Khedekar), his wife Asavari (Iravati Harshe) and their 19-year-old daughter Sanika (Parna Pethe) who live in Mumbai. Avinash takes voluntary retirement as he is not ready to switch to a role that requires him to learn new software. He is technologically challenged and has no qualms admitting it.

Avinash and Asavari go on a trip to Europe soon after his retirement. On returning, they get the shock of their lives when they find that a large part of their bank balance has been stolen by a hacker.

They are in for a bigger shock when Sanika’s new online friend Gautam (Adinath Kothare) shares a video in which he promises to release their intimate MMS online in parts.

Avinash seeks the help of inspector Pawar (Mahesh Waman Manjrekar) of the cyber cell, but the inspector's behaviour adds to his stress. 

The strong point of TC.GN is the watertight screenplay. The film's runtime is just 110 minutes and there is not even a background song in it. Joshi’s writing is structured well with all the elements needed for a dramatic thriller — interesting plot, new-age story, mysterious turns, and the helplessness of innocent characters against a cunning villain.

Things do happen conveniently at times, but that does not irritate you as much because of the treatment. The humour created by Manjrekar’s character ensures that the proceedings don’t become too tedious.

But, as mentioned before, TC.GN is more than a mere thriller. It has a layer about the generation gap and the growing distance between parents and children, which is handled maturely. That trying to control the actions of your children can make matters worse is conveyed without preachiness. More importantly, adult issues like casual sex, MMS scandals and live-in relationships are dealt with in a manner that won’t make family audiences uncomfortable.

There is a tendency in Indian cinema to add loud sounds in the background to create 'thrills'. But TC.GN smartly uses a minimal background score. The smart idea of not making the audience realize when a tune arrives and disappears is followed here. As almost the entire story takes place indoors, director of photography Arjun Sorte had a challenging task. But he overcomes it by showcasing his creativity in the limited space he has to play with. 

Unfortunately, it is the climax in which the film suffers. This is largely because the villain does not turn out to be what you expect him to be after witnessing his antics through the entire film and partly owing to the lack of a kick that is needed in such films in the final moments. Also, the treatment towards the end is a bit like in the television show Crime Patrol.

The film is garnished by fine performances. Veteran Sachin Khedekar gets a chance to display his full range as an actor and he grabs it with both hands. Whether it is determination or helplessness, he gets it right. The scene in which he gets wildly angry with someone at a traffic signal is something we have hardly seen him do.

Adinath Kothare shines in what is his biggest role till date. He doesn’t act like the typical villain and switches to innocent guy at times. Iravati Harshe is yet again a reliable supporting force. And this is one of Mahesh Manjrekar’s finest acts as he effortlessly slips into an unusual character. 

Parna Pethe is perfect as the shy but rebellious teenager and succeeds in speaking through her expressions. Despite the presence of a number of excellent artistes, Sanskruti Balgude makes her mark in an extended cameo. So does Vidyadhar Joshi, who had played an over-concerned parent only recently in Bus Stop (2017); but TC.GN does not let you think about that act.