'Murder Mubarak' Review: An Awesome Ensemble Cast Makes This Murder Worth Investigating

Homi Adajania's 'Murder Mubarak' is an adaptation of Anuja Chauhan's 2021 bestseller the whodunnit, "Club You To Death". The talented wordsmith whose eclectic style of writing, the knack for creating plots, situations and characters which evoke a sense of familiarity, are movies waiting to be made.

However, the screen adaptions of her previous bestsellers, 'The Zoya Factor' ( Staring Dulquer Salman & Sonam Kapoor) or 'The Pricey Thakur Girls', were a classic case of "wish they had not touched the book."

However, 'Murder Mubarak' is a loyal adaptation of the book and the colourful characters are brought to life with perfect casting. Delhi's posh club which still wears the long-forgotten legacy of the Raj around its frayed edges is gearing up for its elections. Its many members representing the Capital's swish set also are clamouring for a position in the Club's administration.

The race for President is between the self-proclaimed Raja saab Ranvijay Singh( Sanjay Kapoor), and a B-grade actor Shehnaa Noorani( Karisma Kapoor).

The other members include the gossipy socialite Roshini Batra (Tisca Chopra) with a substance-abusing son Yash (Suhail Nayyar), and the alcoholic Cookie Katoch (Dimple Kapadia). Then there is the young club regular the vivacious Bambi Todi (Sara Ali Khan) and her ex-boyfriend lawyer Akash Dogra (Vijay Verma) who regards the club as a symbol of "class and privilege".

However, when the Club's Zumba trainer, also a hot favourite amongst its female members, Leo Mathew (Aashim Gulati) is found dead, it seems each one of them could well have had a motive to kill him.

In comes the perpetually bemused ACP Bhavani Singh ( Pankaj Tripathi) along with his assistant Padam Kumar to investigate the case. Apart from the members, those under suspicion are also the gardener Guppie Ram (Brijendra Kala) as well as Ganga( Tara Alisha Berry ) who works at the Club.

But there is a bigger piece missing in this puzzle, and everyone seems to be hiding a murky secret.

Anuja Chauhan's 'Club You To Death' which went beyond its Agatha Christie-ish premise, also was a satirical take on Capital's socio-cultural issues. The class divide, the social hierarchy, the pretentiousness of old money vs new money as well as the lens of those who watch this from the periphery of their boundary walls.

'Murder Mubarak' tries to blend in those aspects along with the murder aspect, but the screenplay gets patchy at times. However, it does keep one riveted, to say the least, and the credit goes to the actors who are a perfect fit in their depiction of the vanity and frivolity of their society and the characters they play.

But the challenge in a narrative like this is how one keeps up the momentum and presence of an ensemble like this, which is something the filmmaker struggles with. As a character is suddenly brought in and then exits.

Sara Ali Khan is impressive as Bambi Todi and the actor seems in control of her performance articulating the emotional trauma of the poor little rich girl. Vijay Varma one of the finest performers charms as the heart lawyer Akash Dogra. The taut tension between Bambi and Akash and the undercurrents of their chemistry is well highlighted by the two actors.

Dimple Kapadia is a scene stealer as the flirty tequila-drinking Cookie Katoch and one wishes there was more of her to see. The same goes for Karisma Kapoor, it is a treat to watch the actor back on screens and she excels as the self-loving diva, who hides a mysterious past.

The genius of Pankaj Tripathi comes to the fore once again, as the actor gives a superlative performance as the eccentric and sharp-witted Bhavani Singh.

3/5 Stars

Where To Watch: Netflix