Murder Mubarak Review: Sara Ali Khan-Pankaj Tripathi Whodunnit Is Shiny In Parts, Forgettable In Sum

basic premise of a whodunnit arguably does half work when it comes to delivering entertainment value to audiences. Lock a bunch of people up toger, kill one of m and n crack case over next two hours or so. Homi ajania's Murder Mubarak, despite being rar elaborate in its approach, plot and aestics, just does not manage to cash in on bona fide thrill that comes with genre.

Hot Take

Murder Mubarak, despite being Homi ajania's first dabble in mystery genre, still happens to follow blueprint of his previous projects. crux of this is overtly complex characters, a plot that gets winding and finally, unmet potential - 2012 film Cocktail being a prime example of this. Murder Mubarak follows this very pattern.

Is Murder Mubarak worth hype?

re are a different set of expectations that come with a Pankaj Tripathi film, considering actor's range. expectations from a Sara Ali Khan film in this regard, are entirely different.

Let us just say n, that Murder Mubarak is a Sara Ali Khan film, one that meets expectations.

Classist interludes are Murder Mubarak's biggest selling point

Though re are factors that make film a humdrum watch, Murder Mubarak still manages to excel on some counts, writing being a forerunner in this regard. plot stands peppered with moments, quips and observations which time and again bring into focus haves versus have nots dynamic.

Writers Gazal Dhaliwal and Suprotim Sengupta are unabashed in championing classism, showcasing allure of a luxurious and painfully vain life. In same breath, duo also manage to sneak in subtle blink-and-miss moments which have a glaring impact in hindsight.

Be it standee display asserting how 'ayahs, servants and guards are not allowed' beyond a certain point at posh Royal Delhi club, having butlers being summoned with bells or a waitress being reprimanded for using a members-only washroom - you will find yourself going back to se moments when plot begins to crawl.

Pankaj Tripathi's performance is wasted

Pankaj Tripathi les Murder Mubarak as ACP Bhavani Singh. simplest way to describe character would be, to imagine if he was not an actor, but actually a police officer. For all range and impact that he is capable of, he ds nothing to role. This is not to say that he is b - just underwhelming.

Vijay Varma too appears to have taken a back seat in this regard. His character Akash Dogra simply wanders around, soullessly mouthing dialogues. Sara Ali Khan's efforts to transform into Bambi Todi mirror trajectory of every or film she's ever done, nothing more nothing less.

Too many cooks spoil broth

re are at least fourteen characters you need to constantly keep track of in film if you find yourself getting too wrapped up in mystery. nice little fore-grounders tagging characters with ir most identifiable traits as y are introduced, make for a nice touch but do not leave desired impact.

Besides obvious names who stick out because of familiarity, re are some that deserve special mention. Tisca Chopra aces dry humour as Roshni Batra, 'bullshitting' gold digger. Brijendra Kala as Guppie Ram is also endearing.

Karisma Kapoor's Bollywood-esque Morticia dams inspired Shehnaaz Noorani however, could have definitely been fleshed out for a stronger impact.

Stream it or skip it?

Murder Mubarak is at best, a one-time watch. You may stick around till end to see mystery crack itself open but film offers zero re-watch value. Homi ajania hoards familiar faces to build an enviable 'star cast' but forgets to effectively utilise m to expedite film.

Karisma Kapoor for instance, is just a dolled up bauble and nothing more. Also be mindful of fact that presumed complexity of plot is not a sign of technical prowess but confused execution.

Bottomline

Pankaj Tripathi is surprisingly underwhelming. Sara Ali Khan and Vijay Varma do not d much to film except ir chemistry. aestics overtake plot.

Rating: 1.5/5