The Buckingham Murders Review: Plot: Detective Jasmeet Bhamra aka Jass (Kareena Kapoor) has suffered a tragic loss, as her son was killed in a reckless open-firing incident in a foreign country. She decides to transfer to a county far from the life she built with her son, resulting in a demotion to DS. She is assigned a case of a missing Indian child, which opens a can of worms. As the investigation progresses, she suspects foul play, particularly regarding the honesty of the child's father, Diljeet (Ranveer Brar). What happened to the boy? Who’s behind it? Do immigrants have a voice in the West? Has communal violence seeped into the world of immigrant Indians too?

Cast: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Keith Allen, Ranveer Brar, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu, and ensemble.
Director: Hansal Mehta.
Writers: Kashyap Kapoor, Aseem Arrora, and Raghav Raj Kakker.

The Buckingham Murders Review: Script Analysis

When a filmmaker like Hansal Mehta sets out to tell an investigative story with perhaps the biggest commercial star he has ever worked with, you know he’s not just aiming for a noir tale about a woman leading an investigation to finally catch the criminal. For a filmmaker who told the story of a gay man with the utmost finesse (Aligarh), of a man who fell to the wrong side of the law (Shahid), and a fascinating scammer (Scam 1992), Mehta is undoubtedly focused on telling a relevant, contemporary story grounded in reality. The Buckingham Murders, on paper, aims to address the lives of immigrants and their perils in a two-hour runtime. But is such a concise runtime enough for a story with so many layers? 

Directed by Hansal Mehta and written by Kashyap Kapoor, Aseem Arrora, and Raghav Raj Kakker, The Buckingham Murders at its core tells the story of a woman who fought her way into a male-dominated world as a detective, only to lose it all after a personal tragedy. Life takes her back to square one, both metaphorically and professionally, as she now finds herself lower on the job hierarchy. This woman pushed into a corner from all sides, finds her lifeline in a missing child case. The first half of the film captures the monotony of her life, which has dulled her formerly energetic approach to work, making it a straight graph with no highs.

The screenplay in the first half remains largely neutral, even at its peak, because the protagonist is unfazed by the events around her—she’s seen worse, and nothing can top that. Whether this was a deliberate creative decision to make the first half feel flat so the second half could deliver a more balanced drama is something only the makers can clarify. However, it’s a bold choice, as many viewers might feel that nothing happens for much of the first half. The Buckingham Murders attempts to immerse you in a world where almost no one is present, with Kareena Kapoor Khan being the sole recognizable face among the predominantly immigrant cast.

Kareena Kapoor Khan is a force to reckon with. With her expressive eyes, a drained, pale face, and the quiet confidence of a woman who can move mountains despite her pain, she reminds us why she has remained a relevant superstar for over two decades. Her performance is so measured that you don’t see the effort, yet you know it’s there. As a mother of two sons in real life, you can sense her drawing on the imagined tragedy. The subtle hints that she had to fight in a man’s world by becoming one of them add depth to Jasmeet as a character. It’s through her eyes that much of The Buckingham Murders finds its expression.

Hansal Mehta, as a filmmaker, recognizes that this world is new to his Indian audience, so he explains it without spoon-feeding. The way detectives work with the police or the concept of a Family Liaison Officer is seamlessly integrated into the story. However, the lack of native characters makes The Buckingham Murders feel like a stage play for much of its runtime. The highest concentration of natives is in the real-life footage of protests against open-firing incidents. Perhaps the film was shot under COVID-19 restrictions. Speaking of the pandemic, the movie addresses it without forcing the issue, making it a natural part of the plot. The pandemic will inevitably be a significant part of future conversations, influencing many aspects of life, both good and bad.

However, The Buckingham Murders, as mentioned earlier, tries to address the state of immigrants, the politics, and the unrest they face. Statistics about kidnappings, murders, and abductions are thrown at the audience when the child goes missing. The communal hatred that has traveled overseas is briefly discussed, as is the queer community and the resistance they still face, alongside juvenile crime and children being led astray. While these are crucial issues that deserve attention in a story like this, they are mostly touched upon and then moved away from, diminishing their impact on the viewer.

This leaves one wondering if The Buckingham Murders, like some of Mehta’s recent projects, would have been more effective as a fleshed-out investigative drama series or a mini-series. We know Hansal Mehta is not a filmmaker who indulges in tokenism—he digs deep into stories rather than just scratching the surface. So when he touches on these topics without exploring them fully, it’s clear that a crisper runtime was likely a constraint.

Emma Dalesman’s cinematography adds a melancholic tone to the film, with the color grading muting vibrancy and enhancing the somber atmosphere. The music is decent, as is the background score.

The Buckingham Murders Review: Final Verdict

Kareena Kapoor Khan is tasked with carrying much of the film on her capable shoulders, and she does so admirably. However, Hansal Mehta’s The Buckingham Murders feels like a broader idea compressed into a shorter runtime, which rushes the narrative and dilutes the intended impact of the story.

The Buckingham Murders releases in theatres on September 13, 2024. Stay tuned to Mobile Masala for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

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