Mumbai:
Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan on Tuesday said she was excited to work with Hansal Mehta on her upcoming film “Buckingham Murders” and praised the director for making her feel comfortable on the sets.
The UK-set crime film, which also marks Kareena's debut as a producer, will see the actress play Jasmeet Bhamra aka Jass, a cop grieving over the death of her child and assigned to investigate a missing child case.
Karina praised Hansal for staying true to the authenticity of the story.
“This film would not have been what it is without the man himself, the captain of the ship, Hansal Mehta. The way he directed it, the way he made me also become the character, made me feel so comfortable… We loved the idea of the story; we loved the script… There is no one better than Hansal who could have directed this film with such good content. He kept the authenticity of the film…
“When Hansal sent me this, I was like, 'We have to do this.' I think we did, that's the most important thing. I'm so glad that in my career I had the opportunity to work with him. I'm so glad that this is a film where I think this character is the most special to me,” she told reporters.
The actor was speaking at the trailer launch of Buckingham Murders, also produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under Balaji Telefilms and TBM Films.
The film will be released in its original language (English and Hindi) and also in a Hindi version.
Karina noted that today language is no longer a barrier in cinema.
“I don't think it's a different type of cinema. Today you can't say that because the film has songs and dances, so you put it in a box, which is a mass film. If the film is good, people will watch it…
“She (Jass's character) lives in the UK, so when you are there, you only speak to people in English. So the characters who know Hindi, we speak to them in Hindi, the ones who are English, we speak to them in English. So it's a different mix and I think it was perfect for shooting this film and making this film with the right emotion.” She also described producer Ektaa as the “backbone” of the film.
“I would like to thank my friend Ektaa, who had the faith and courage to always stand by me and say, 'We will do this, we will do this together'. Whatever we did, we were always super successful. This time again, I am very confident. It is going to be amazing.” Hansal, known for films like Shahid, City Lights and the web series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, said his new film has universal appeal.
“It is important to bring authenticity. A person watching it in London will feel that it is his film and a person watching it here will connect with the emotions of a mother. A mother's emotions are universal and the whole world connects with them. It is not a pan-Indian film, we have made a Hindi version too. I don't see this film as pan-Indian, I see it as pan-world,” he said.
Karina added that maternal emotions have no language.
“It's a feeling. And Jass is a mother. And that's also her journey outside of the investigation. So I think being a mother herself, she understands that there is no language of mother love. Her eyes show love and pain, nothing else.”
“I think that's what connected me to the character… Somehow there was so much soul to him that I felt like now was the time to really feel this character and play him,” she said.
Ektaa, who has worked with Kareena in films like Udta Punjab, Veere Di Wedding and Crew, said Buckingham Murders was a “complete metamorphosis” for the star.
“I have worked with Karina on four films. She is a star, but she is also a great actress… I thought we had a woman with weight, strength. Stories cannot be presented to the public in a medium that is entirely male-driven, a completely different kind of commerce, unless you use your intelligence and make it commercial…
“At the same time, back it up with a great actor and a great star. I knew that for this to happen, the actor had to agree to be okay with putting himself out there in another film. And the only one I had confidence in, who was brave and had the right to stardom, was Kareena. We approached her, we decided that if she said yes, this film would be made. And she came on board as an actress and a producer,” she said.
“The Buckingham Murders” also stars Ash Tandon, Ranveer Brar and Keith Allen. The screenplay is written by Asim Arrora, Kashyap Kapoor and Raghav Raj Kakker. It is scheduled to hit theatres on September 13. PTI SSG RDS BK BK