No-nonsense Kareena Kapoor Khan revels in her Kate Winslet era, but Hansal Mehta’s film succumbs to obviousness.

The subtext is easy to appreciate in hindsight. In real time, however, it feels generic. There is no dearth of tropes and gimmicks. Even the mistakes are familiar. It's hard to be original, but it's harder to be derivative, and still stay relevant.

The film looks like the origin story of a franchise, and given the fine beginnings, we should be prepared for more stories set in this particular pocket universe.

For all its provocations, The Buckingham Murders put outs a numbingly conventional take on motherhood. Although Kareena Kapoor Khan takes a big swing at a role that is a departure for her, Jasmeet turns out to be the weakest link...