By the time Murder Mubarak, a whodunnit straining under the mess of too many characters, reveals the answers, we’re way past caring.
Movies based on books are a wild card — they can be a hit or a miss. Murder Mubarak, a 2024 Indian Hindi-language mystery thriller film based on the novel Club You To Death written by Anuja Chauhan, falls somewhere in the middle. The film is directed by Homi Adajania and produced by Dinesh Vijan. It features an ensemble cast, including Pankaj Tripathi, Karisma Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Vijay Varma, Dimple Kapadia, Sanjay Kapoor, Tisca Chopra, Suhail Nayyar, and Tara Alisha Berry.
With movies in the mystery/comedy genre, the goal is to walk a fine line between keeping the audience on edge and making them laugh.
Does Murder Mubarak succeed? Let’s find out.
What’s the Story of ‘Murder Mubarak’?
The Royal Delhi Club is a monument to colonial India, with entry fees reaching the millions and requiring decades of commitment. On Tambola Night, the club’s elite members flaunt their wealth and status, arriving in their opulent vehicles for a game of bingo. Behind the scenes, a grim discovery is made: a corpse lies near a troubling red pool, which is being licked by a cat named Prince Harry. The suspects are introduced with dramatic flair:
- Rannvijay Singh (Sanjay Kapoor), notorious for his stinginess with tips
- Yash (Suhail Nayyar), a known addict, along with his mother Roshni (Tisca Chopra)
- The once-famous actress Shehnaz (Karisma Kapoor)
- The flamboyant socialite Cookie (Dimple Kapadia)
- The astute lawyer Akash Dogra (Varma)
- Bambi (Sara Ali Khan), a widow too young for her title
Who committed the murder? The unraveling of this mystery drives the narrative forward.
What Works in ‘Murder Mubarak’?
The film brilliantly captures Anuja Chauhan’s complex universe of insiders and outsiders, doing justice to her narrative. However, balancing screen time for its vast ensemble cast without diluting the plot presents a challenge. Mirroring the style of modern whodunnits like Knives Out, the movie features many intriguing characters, each harboring their motives.
Among the standout performances, ACP Bhavani Singh (Pankaj Tripathi) shines subtly comedically, portraying a smug bemusement that speaks volumes about class conflicts. Meanwhile, Sara Ali Khan adds a vibrant charisma to a film otherwise filled with quirky rather than fully fleshed-out characters.
What Doesn’t Work?
Murder Mubarak suffers from a Jekyll and Hyde personality disorder and shifts erratically between various tones and styles — from slapstick comedy to intimate character studies, from over-the-top melodrama to clever meta-commentary, and even harsh social critique peppered with sudden, intense violence.
The same tonal shift can also be attributed to the film’s eventual long running time, which weighs on the viewer’s patience. The film could have benefited from tighter editing, as many scenes drag on unnecessarily or seem out of place; its lighter comedic moments often clash jarringly with severe themes of mortality, creating a tasteless contrast.
The climax, in particular, feels laborious, extending nearly half an hour and straining the viewer’s patience. Murder Mubarak ambitiously attempts to weave a complex narrative that critiques social divisions, but its execution makes the viewing experience more tedious than entertaining. Unfortunately, the effort to engage the audience in this rich tapestry of plot and character ends up feeling more restrictive than enlightening.
The film’s attempts at social critique are less successful. Director Homi Adajania focuses on the superficialities and secrets of Delhi’s elite, a group extensively critiqued in other works. The theme of class disparity explored through an upstairs-downstairs narrative, becomes repetitive.
Final Verdict
Tripathi is no Poirot, and Murder Mubarak certainly isn’t Knives Out, and the sooner you accept that, the better your viewing experience will be. The movie is cluttered with too many one-dimensional characters and unnecessary swerves into social commentary. It’s a decent watch if you come in with zero expectations.
We give it a 2 out of 5.
