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

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

Hot Take

Murder Mubarak, despite being Homi Adajania's first dabble in the mystery genre, still happens to follow the blueprint of his previous projects. The 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 the hype?

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

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

Classist interludes are Murder Mubarak's biggest selling point

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

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

Be it the standee display asserting how 'ayahs, servants and guards are not allowed' beyond a certain point at the 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 these moments when the plot begins to crawl.

Pankaj Tripathi's performance is wasted

Pankaj Tripathi leads Murder Mubarak as ACP Bhavani Singh. The simplest way to describe the character would be, to imagine if he was not an actor, but actually a police officer. For all the range and impact that he is capable of, he adds nothing to the role. This is not to say that he is bad - 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 the trajectory of every other film she's ever done, nothing more nothing less.

Too many cooks spoil the broth

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

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

Karisma Kapoor's Bollywood-esque Morticia Addams 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 the end to see the mystery crack itself open but the film offers zero re-watch value. Homi Adajania hoards familiar faces to build an enviable 'star cast' but forgets to effectively utilise them to expedite the film.

Karisma Kapoor for instance, is just a dolled up bauble and nothing more. Also be mindful of the fact that the presumed complexity of the 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 add much to the film except their chemistry. The aesthetics overtake the plot.

Rating: 1.5/5