The Buckingham Murders review: Kareena Kapoor's tour de force, Hansal Mehta's mastery combine for a brave thriller

Director: Hansal Mehta

Cast: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Brar, Keith Allen, Kapil Redekar, Ash Tandon, Adwoa Akoto

Where to watch: Theatres

Rating: 3.5 stars

There is a scene early on in Hansal Mehta’s The Buckingham Murders, where the filmmaker chooses to show the protagonist Jass Bhamra (played by Kareena Kapoor) in the most ‘unflattering’ angles possible. The wrinkles of the face are there for all to see, the double chin is pronounced, the bleached facial hair are prominent. It is one of the most honest depictions of a woman featuring a mainstream Bollywood star in recent times. That sets the tone for The Buckingham Murders, where we know that Jass is not your traditional Bollywood diva, nor is she the traditional protagonist as well. Combine this with Mehta’s mastery over camera work and integrating background score in the narrative and you have a beautiful film. The plot, however intricate, does leave a few loopholes, maybe for dramatic effect. But the film’s two stars – Kareena and Hansal – salvage that.

The Buckingham Murders is set in Wycombe High, a small British town grappling with sectarian violence. DS Jass Bhamra has transferred here after losing her son in a shootout. The obviously trauma-laden Jass finds herself in a quagmire as she is assigned the case of a murdered Indian teen. As the suspects of the Sikh boy’s killing turn out to be Muslim youth, all hell breaks loose. Now Jass must battle her own demons, an unpredictable senior officer, and the turmoil of a city she doesn’t know if she wants to find the killer.

To say that The Buckingham Murders is similar to Mare of Easttown or Broadchurch is an understatement. It is very much in the same genre and several scenes and plotlines will take you back to these two iconic shows. A mystery in a small town with a cop battling personal tragedies while investigating – the premise is exactly the same. But the similarities end right there, on the surface. The Buckingham Murders brings in the subtleties of communal tension and that too, in a British set up. That makes it more Indian than its international predecessors.

The setting is important for The Buckingham Murders is essentially an English film with several lines of dialogue in Hindi (and Punjabi). The makers have also released a full-Hindi version but I preferred the Hinglish one. It retains the tone and the setting while never quite becoming difficult to follow. The dialogue, even in English, is poignant and never gets gimmicky or heavy. The accents are natural, although it is jarring to note that Kareena’s character is the only one without even though she has spent years in the UK as well.

It’s the cinematography and score that elevates The Buckingham Murders to a truly world-class film. Some of the shots inspire awe and generate an uneasy calm at the same time. Mehta has been able to capture the eeriness of a small town and also the simmering tensions between communities that are always there but never on the surface.

The most underwhelming part of this murder mystery is the mystery itself. You may not know who the killer is but after a few scenes, you must certainly know who it is not. The red herrings are painfully obvious, which does take a lot of fun out of the experience. Some of the plot twists are unnecessary and seem to have been put in for some shock value. Another aspect in which the movie does not quite come through in its treatment of the victim, the 14-year-old Ishpreet. The viewers are given very little about him and hence, we do not care much for the boy. That makes it a more dry case of ‘find the killer’ than how it should be.

But all that is salvaged by the performances, particularly from Kareena, who carries this film on her shoulder. The actress is in splendid form. To quote a cliché, the speaks with her eyes here. Her subtle expressions, delivery, body language, and demeanour suck you into this world, making you relate to the pain and escapism of Jass. For the second time after Jaane Jaan, the actress has embraced her age in a role where she is at the front and centre of things. And yet again, she shows why she needs to be counted amongst the finest actresses Hindi cinema has produced.

Kareena is ably supported by a gamut of fine performances, the most surprising of them coming from Ranveer Brar. The chef-turned-actor excels as the misogynist father of the victim who is one word away from being punched in the face by everyone around him for the entire length of the film. For him to make this character convincing and real deserves praise. Ash Tandon as DI Hardy Patel is also great, bringing an almost retributive toxic sense of justice to the fore, which many viewers will sadly relate with. He is essential in setting Jass as the film’s moral compass and the actor sails through with ease.

The Buckingham Murders will be called by many as India’s Mare of Easttown. But that is a huge disservice to both the titles. It is a brave attempt with a taut murder mystery led by a woman in her 40s, who looks her age. Box office prospects and its obvious flaws aside, it deserves a watch for sure. Just for Kareena and Hansal if nothing else.

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