The Buckingham Murders Ending Explained

"A gritty, 'ripped-from-the-headlines' police procedural is like a lot of movies or TV shows, but when it's commissioned by a famous filmmaker, it gets a different perspective. That's the one for acclaimed Indian director Hansal Mehta." come to The Buckingham Murders." ."

Known for his bold social and political commentary in Bollywood, Hansal leaves his comfort zone to shoot entirely in rural England, collaborating with a mostly British crew but retaining one Bollywood staple - Kareena Kapoor An A-list actress who not only leads the film but also makes her debut also takes the role

Kareena stars Kareena as detective, Jaspreet Bhamra, a grieving mother who is still processing the tragic death of her son. Moving to Buckinghamshire he is tasked with investigating a missing boy, so he soon becomes embroiled in conflict between Hindu and Muslim communities This conflict draws inspiration from real life events, particularly the Leicester riots in 2022, where more than 50 people were arrested.

Hansal, who won the Best Director award at the National Film Awards for Shahid in 2013, deftly balances plot, character and contemporary cultural imagery and we sat down with him to discuss his journey after the release of the film first after the BFI London Film Festival.

The Buckingham Murders: The Origins of the Idea
Where did the idea for The Buckingham Murders come from?

“My writer Asim Arora approached me with a crime detective case set in the UK, and I fell in love immediately. I had never explored the crime before, and this felt like an opportunity to delve into issues of grief, loneliness, and motherhood. I wanted to avoid the English setting of typical Bollywood and create something that felt local and global and connected."

A female lead in a male-dominated film
Was it meant to be a female protagonist in traditionally male genres like crime and cop dramas?

“This is how the story was written from the beginning, and it was one of the things that really drew me in. We knew from the beginning that we would need a lead star, by 2019 we started exploring that possibility but the reasons for the epidemic including delayed the project. The balance between making it a murder mystery and keeping it within human drama was key, and we struggled at times to get it right. During this time I was also working on Scam 1992, a hugely successful show.”

Kareena Kapoor's entry
What was it like working with Kareena and what was her reaction when she first read the script?

“He came on board at the end of 2020 and was very excited from the start. At first, I wasn’t sure if such a big star would play this role, but she loved pushing her boundaries as an actress. Despite his years as a star, he is open to exploring new aspects of his art and still has a lot of untapped potential within him.”

dealing with Hindu-Muslim conflict
Why did you choose to include the Hindu-Muslim divide in the film?

“Polarization and the search for identity have always been central themes in my work. The Buckingham murders continue this exploration, revealing how individuals navigate their identities as they deal with the realities of everyday life.”

UK Parliamentary understanding
What was it like learning about UK constitution and how was it different from India?

“It was a learning curve. Initially, we had plans based on what we saw in movies or India. But as we delved deeper into the research, we realized that the plans were very different. One key difference is that detectives in the UK are not plainclothes officers with guns. The search turned our attention to a more mental challenge than a physical one.”

working with British consultants
What role did consultants play during the process?

“We had consultants in the UK from the parliamentary office who guided us through the process. My co-authors were in frequent contact, while I frequently checked in to verify things. We also had May Davies, a British production artist with experience in production design, who helped define the environmental spaces.”

Collaborating with a British team
What was it like working with a mostly British team?

“It was an amazing experience. As an outsider, I visited the UK through the eyes of a tourist, in awe of the sights, while the British team focused more on the human factor. This combination worked well—I love the fabric of the venue and the focus on intimate drama.”

Production challenges
What was the hardest part of the process?

“One of the biggest challenges is to seamlessly integrate English and Hindi into the film. We wanted to make sure that Hindi-speaking audiences could follow the film without having to understand English, and vice versa. It was about finding the balance and keeping the language natural.”

In The Buckingham Murders, Hansal Mehta brilliantly combines a poignant human story with a complex criminal investigation, offering a new approach to well-worn musicals