Upamanyu Biswas
In the Indian crime thriller ‘The Buckingham Murders,’ a struggling British-Indian detective named Jasmeet “Jazz” Bhamra finds herself coming to grips with the reality of the death of her son. As she navigates life in the wake of the devastating loss, the protagonist has to dig deep as a missing child case comes to light in a town known as Buckinghamshire. The investigation forces Jasmeet to wade through the complexities of her own loss while also doing her utmost to prevent another tragedy of the same kind. However, the conspiracy may be too dark and dreary for her to deal with on her own. Led by Kareena Kapoor Khan’s compelling performance, the Hansal Mehta directorial features a gripping murder mystery tale with all the trappings of a suspenseful narrative laced with numerous twists and turns.
The Buckingham Murders is a Dark Tale Weaving Personal Loss With a Crime Investigation
‘The Buckingham Murders’ is a fictional story penned by Aseem Arrora, Raghav Raj Kakker, and Kashyap Kapoor. It is an investigative story that is brimming with an emotional undertone owing to the premise surrounding the central character. Jasmeet is a police detective who is faced with the grim reality of losing her son to a shooter, which in turn connects with the case she is about to embark upon. As such, for the most part, its inspirations are drawn from other crime narratives of its kind rather than real-life investigations. According to the filmmakers, one of the primary inspirations for the project is the Kate Winslet starrer ‘Mare of Easttown.’ Kareena Kapoor Khan, who plays Jasmeet, acknowledged that there were some ties between her protagonist and Winslet’s character in the 2021 drama.
In an interview with Variety, the actress explained, “I love ‘Mare of Easttown’ and when Hansal came to me, I said this is something that I’ve really been dying to do. So we’ve molded a little bit on those lines, she plays a detective cop in that. It’s the first time that I’ve dabbled in that.” The oppressive atmosphere and the complex interpersonal dynamics across the movie are clearly a nod to the miniseries drama. However, it also relies upon its unique branches of storytelling that provide for its own viewing experience. To that end, director Hansal Mehta insisted that while the parallels are obvious between the show and the movie, ‘The Buckingham Murders’ operates in a completely different context and has a rich tapestry of human emotions to dive into amidst the intense investigation.
The Buckingham Murders is an Exploration of Trauma Through a Detective’s Eyes
Undoubtedly, one of the critical aspects of ‘The Buckingham Murders’ is how it dives into the psychological underpinnings of each character in the story, particularly the protagonist. Jasmeet starts the movie at a point in her life that provides a greater incentive and internal grounding, which allows her to view her central case of ‘The Buckingham Murders’ through a completely different lens. While the reality of being an investigator is to pull back as much as possible from a case’s subjective aspects and look at something with fresh, objective eyes, that aspect becomes entangled and muddled for the lead investigator. Naturally, the loss of her son propels her to examine a completely different side of her life and even utilize that newfound grit and determination in a different way than she previously did with her cases.
The blurring of lines between personal duty and professional etiquette also makes for a more engaging narrative that offers less black-and-white themes. The complexities surrounding the crime become even more fascinating when the investigator heads into the mystery and finds herself unable to extricate her personal identity from what is needed as a law enforcer. It throws up interesting questions as a result, which may be well-versed motifs but provide another layer of context and immersion that balances the overall drama. ‘The Buckingham Murders’ may fall into some areas of predictability at times, but it is effective when it needs to be through its dedication to an oppressive environment and a detective narrative that never loses its conviction.
Additionally, the exploration of trauma also creates a sense of reliability with Jasmeet’s predicament. As a mother who has just lost her child, empathy for her position only engenders a deeper bond with the viewer. The parallels between her circumstance and the case she is delving into threads a continual line between both situations and is reflected in a more nuanced narrative that embraces a sense of heightened storytelling in its otherwise grounded premise.
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