India is seeing a tectonic shift in filmmaking these days. Either we have movies filled with propaganda or we have high on drama, unrealistic tales.
Obviously, Laapataa Ladies was an exception. A new Hindi film, Murder Mubarak, has begun streaming on Netflix.
It has an ensemble of actors joining in from various walks of life.
The offbeat whodunnit movie screams for your consideration, but does it deserve your two hours and twenty minutes? Read on.
Murder Mubarak Synopsis
The death of a man in a lavish society of rich people invites the attention of ACP Bhavani Singh, who thinks it is a murder and thus begins an investigation that doesn’t leave any of the members from its ambit.
Directed by Homi Adjania, Murder Mubarak stars Pankaj Tripathi (Bhavani Singh), Karisma Kapoor (Shehnaz), Sara Ali Khan (Bambi), Tisca Chopra (Roshni), Brijendra Kala (Guppie), Aashim Gulati (Leo), Suhail Nayyar (Yash), and others.
What Works for Murder Mubarak?
The idea is certainly not unique, but it is offbeat by the tiniest of margins. We consume murder mysteries daily.
They have become the heart and soul of the OTT world after dark thrillers.
The Royal Delhi Club, home to the ultra-rich, makes the headlines after the death of a Zoomba Teacher is declared a murder by ACP Bhavani Singh. He believes there’s something sinister going on but can he prove it?
The makers try to create a somber atmosphere within the limits of humor and a growing murder mystery.
Riding on the back of Pankaj Tripathi’s witty delivery, Murder Mubarak allows suspense to infiltrate slowly.
A detective investigation then takes over to turn the plot into a whodunnit. The engagement pattern remains in a zigzag form, going up and down intermittently.
With many characters taking space, comedy scenes do look a bit over the top at times, fluffed with cliches.
However, the film does get some puns right on the money.
The reliance is on dialogues and conversations ditching the usual browbeating situational comedy in Hindi movies.
Murder Mubarak’s screenplay serves it quite well. It is not blank or outrightly undercooked.
Furthermore, the background score does the job but don’t expect any new variations in this department.
Importantly, the film’s revelations in the end are astute when seen as a standalone feature.
However, the minute you assess the product as one combined creation, disappointments begin to creep in.
Singularly speaking, the concluding mystery part of the movie ties up loose ends meticulously; thus, justifying the murder mystery tag.
How are the Performances?
Pankaj Tripathi nails an aura fuelled by accent, enigma, and sheen. He has been doing this for decades. Still, the beloved actor finds a way to appear refreshing.
However, Murder Mubarak could be the first film in a long time when people might see too much repetition in his characterization.
His wittiness is on the brink of saturation and I think Tripathi needs to change his stance.
I don’t mean he doesn’t do well in Murder Mubarak – he is in fact the saving grace – but this structural frame of delivery needs a change, in my opinion.
Or else, the spark will vanish from Pankaj Tripathi.
Vijay Varma is a natural actor, we all know. He reinstates this belief once again in Murder Mubarak.
Playing Kaashi, he doesn’t let himself get lost in the hubbub of loud actors. Varma uses his trademark style of delivering dialogues to attain great heights.
Karisma Kapoor finds some ground in an easy character. Her expressions are still pleasing to the eye.
Sanjay Kapoor impresses with his bossy attitude. The man has something in his voice that allows him to find a crucial place in the narrative.
What won me over was Brijendra Kala’s performance. The veteran artist beats himself once again.
How he converts the written sketch of a ‘pahaadi’ man is simply astonishing. His hold on the vocal authority makes him stand out.
I didn’t like Sara Ali Khan’s acting in Murder Mubarak. She is a complete misfit with her underwhelming dialogue delivery and not-so-substantial facial expressions.
Her artificial pauses fail to evoke the required punch to connect with the people.
What Doesn’t Work for Murder Mubarak?
From the beginning to the end, the movie excessively tries to appear mysterious but fails to sustain your attention.
If you study the facial mien of each and every character, you can clearly understand the laggy attempt to paint all of them as murder suspects.
Such things should be subtle and not overt like in Murder Mubarak. The pretentious nature of the plot is its biggest drawback.
A visible attempt is made to somehow sail through the lengthy duration. Moreover, the suspense is not compelling enough.
Even if you break-watch it, you won’t lose out on anything since there’s more fluff than substance in the middle phase.
Some of the characters in the film don’t make any sense at all. And there are too many of them, leading to a cluttering of sorts.
The large number of exquisite individuals makes it a challenging task to pinpoint people in a 140-minute-long movie.
The more you spread the number the more you lose out on depth.
Further, several scenes are there to only add to the length. They don’t carry any material significance.
Murder Mubarak also doesn’t create any emotional resonance, which I wouldn’t have emphasized had the film been one and a half hours long.
Lastly, it can be easy to predict who the culprit is if you truly put on your detective hat.
Stream or Skip?
Murder Mubarak is watchable but has too many flaws to ignore. It depends on your tolerance levels on how you like the film.
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