Kareena portrays Jaspreet Bhamra, a police officer grappling with the profound sorrow of having lost her child.
When we first encounter Kareena Kapoor Khan in “The Buckingham Murders,” she is seated on a public bench, her expression blank beneath a dreary English sky. Her status as a star feels distant and irrelevant. Brief flashbacks appear, showing a sunny day with a young boy laughing as he runs across lush green grass, a ball striking bowling pins, and the flashing lights of red and blue police cars, all while Kareena wears the same stunned look she has now.
The scene shifts to a courtroom where a young man admits to opening fire in a restaurant. He claims he was tired of being overlooked and insists he never meant to harm the child. Kareena remains silent, positioned at the edge of the frame as the judge declares the boy guilty. It’s only when he is being led away by police that she bursts forward, releasing a long-suppressed cry.
Kareena takes on the role of Jaspreet Bhamra, a police officer grappling with the heartache of losing her child. She transfers to Buckinghamshire and soon finds herself investigating the case of a missing boy. Initially reluctant, she ultimately agrees to take on the case at her superior’s urging. Tragically, the child is soon discovered murdered. As the investigation unfolds, it reveals deeper issues affecting the immigrant community in the UK. Hidden relationships come to light, and underlying tensions emerge. The victim was a Sikh boy, killed by a Muslim.
More than just a thriller, “The Buckingham Murders” paints a picture of South Asians in a post-colonial society, striving for modernity in lifestyle but not always in mindset. While the film’s atmosphere and setting may feel reminiscent of various international small-town thrillers, Jaspreet’s character echoes Kate Winslet’s Marianne Sheehan from the HBO series.
Mehta has really mastered the art of storytelling, connecting with audiences back home while narrating tales from distant lands. In his recent theatrical release, “Faraaz” (2022), he explored the theme of Muslim fundamentalism in Bangladesh. However, rather than solely attributing it to one faith, he delves into the broader origins and growth of fundamentalism itself. Similarly, in “The Buckingham Murders,” viewers can’t help but notice the unsettling parallels drawn from news reports about community clashes fueled by “misinformation.” Yet, the political backdrop serves merely as a setting. What Mehta truly understands is the complexity of human emotions and the lengths people will go for love.
In one poignant scene, Jaspreet clutches her son’s bloodied t-shirt while sleeping on the sofa. While such a moment could easily come across as overly sentimental in the hands of another director, Mehta approaches it with a delicate touch. Cinematographer Emma Dalesman deserves special recognition for beautifully capturing England’s atmosphere, mirroring the protagonist’s emotional turmoil—heavy and grey, much like a cloud of grief ready to unleash.
Kareena delivers a powerful performance as Jaspreet, fully embodying the character with a sense of vulnerability. She portrays a woman so utterly broken that she seems impervious to further pain. Yet, during a suspect’s confession, her trembling hands reveal her inner struggle. An intriguing casting choice is Ranveer Brar, a regular in Mehta’s films, who plays the role of the murdered boy’s father—a volatile misogynist harboring secrets. His performance adds depth to the narrative, giving a new twist to his well-known catchphrase: “Fir mat kehna Ranveer ne bataya nahi” (Don’t say later that Ranveer didn’t tell).
I wouldn’t describe The Buckingham Murders as a complex thriller, but it definitely presents a skillfully layered narrative. It offers an in-depth examination of characters and their relationships, highlighting how societal structures can stifle individuals and give rise to darker sides of human nature. While it doesn’t introduce groundbreaking ideas, it resonates with familiar themes. This week, I also reviewed Sector 36, another somber film that portrays children as victims of a fractured society, which also draws on similar aesthetics. However, The Buckingham Murders goes beyond just its atmosphere and style. In its quest for truth, it uncovers something even more profound.
THE BUCKINGHAM MURDERS
Cast: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Brar, Prabhleen Sandhu, Keith Allen, Ash Tandon, and Kapil Redekar
Director: Hansal Mehta
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