The Buckingham Murders review: Kareena Kapoor shines in Hansal Mehta’s vision of grief and courage

Buckingham Murders Review: For a long time, the grieving of a mother was seen as one-dimensional in Indian cinema. She was a weeping, inconsolable figure, shrouded in white. But for Jasmeet Bhamra, played by Kareena Kapoor Khan in The Buckingham Murders, her grief over losing her son is more of a weapon than an obstacle.

After her son is killed in a shooting, detective Jasmeet Bhamra travels to Buckinghamshire where she is assigned a case that is eating away at her. A young Sikh boy is murdered and the prime suspect is a drug-addicted Muslim boy. But what would a detective story be without a classic bait to chew on?

Sleepy towns are the stuff of detective stories. The tawny houses among the tall trees are a playground for the most evil in the community. However, as Jasmeet tries to bring the boy to justice, the town’s façade slowly crumbles to reveal the horrors of communal violence, discrimination and homophobia.

While the film is not a suspense thriller, Hansal Mehta’s lens brilliantly shows the emotions that drive criminal behavior. However, this investigation into the emotions of immigrants often overshadows the overall plot, making the murder investigation feel half-hearted at times.

The Buckingham Murders is a slow-moving crime drama directed by Kareena Kapoor Khan. The two-hour film is a testament to Kareena’s talent as an actress. Mehta brings out the best in her. The actress, who once called herself the “most commercial heroine”, impresses with her nuanced and unglamorous expression of her unresolved grief and devastation.

Her quiet desolation and subtle ways of rebelling become the driving force of the film. A scene where she understands her grief from her father’s perspective is particularly compelling. Kareena Kapoor will dare you to take your eyes off her on screen and you will rightly lose.

The supporting cast of the film brings their A-game to complement Kapoor. Ranveer Brar convincingly plays Daljeet Kohli, a man who has lost his mother, his son and his business. He merges the different layers of his character with a commendable performance. Ash Tandon as ‘Hardy’ Patel and Kapil Redekar as Saquib Chowdhary embody their characters with ease. At heart, The Buckingham Murders is a story of mothers and sons. As such, Prabhleen Sandhu as the ‘modest’ Preeti Kohli deserves a special applause for her performance.

While the actors in the film are fantastic in their roles, the heart of the film is behind the camera. Another testament to Mehta’s vision as a director is how he uses Jasmeet’s wardrobe as an obvious yet important aspect of her character. Jasmeet is seen dressed in black and dark purple throughout the film. The only colour comes from the blood-soaked yellow t-shirt her son was wearing at the time of his death. The colour yellow is often associated with hope and happiness, which Jasmeet clings to for its own sake. The only time we see Jasmeet in a bright colour is when she finally stops running away from her haunting past.

Director Hansal Mehta and editor Amitesh Mukherjee have carefully crafted the film’s colour palette, which accentuates the severity of the characters. Cinematographer Emma Dalesman brings the story to life brilliantly. She treats the characters’ surroundings as extensions of them and the result is a visual treat on screen. Karan Kulkarni’s music ties the film together by exploring the feeling of being Indian in a foreign land.

What emerges then is that the ‘murder’ in The Buckingham Murders is mired in a predictable plot. Writers Aseem Arrora, Raghav Raj Kakker and Kashyap Kapoor have done their best to weave a gripping narrative, but the exploration of the characters’ strong emotions takes precedence over the investigation. However, while this murder mystery is not a thrilling one, it is not entirely to the film’s detriment, as the writers’ understanding of isolation and the dimensions of grief is remarkable.

The Buckingham Murders becomes a must-watch film thanks to its compelling performances and visual storytelling. The de-glam Kareena Kapoor has never disappointed fans. Like in Udta Punjab and Jaane Jaan, Kapoor’s masterful acting skills are on full display here. Add to that Hansal Mehta’s brilliant vision and we have a delectable pairing.