Kareena Kapoor Khan's 'The Buckingham Murders' to open Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival
Mumbai (PTI): Kareena Kapoor Khan-starrer "The Buckingham Murders" will open the upcoming Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival on October 27, the organisers announced on Tuesday.
Directed by Hansal Mehta, the moody procedural thriller is an exploration of grief, longing for closure, and captures the human cost of polarised times. The story follows cop and single mother Jasmeet Bhamra (Kareena), who recently lost her child in a shooting spree, as she transfers to a market town north of London and is assigned the case of a missing child.
Kareena said it's an honour that her film, also her maiden effort as a co-producer alongside Ektaa Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor, will open the festival.
"It's a place where movies are celebrated and all creative art forms are honoured. Can't be happier to have our film grace the stage at Jio MAMI. 'The Buckingham Murders' is very special for me since it's my maiden voyage as a co-producer. Working with Hansal and Ektaa is a deeply satisfying and immersive process. We are only hoping our film will reach wider audiences and break barriers globally," she said in a statement.
Hansal said the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival has been home to him ever since "Shahid" and returning to the movie gala with "The Buckingham Murders" is a proud moment for him.
"It's the story of South Asian communities settled outside India, and it is heartening to see the world take notice of the kind of cinema we are now capable of producing in India. This movie is our labour of love. It's a thriller, but at the heart of it is a human story about people we may know," the director added.
After its world premiere at the 67th BFI London Film Festival last week, becoming the opening night title of Jio MAMI is truly exhilarating, said Ektaa. She said her collaboration with Hansal and Kareena is special.
"These platforms represent a confluence of the best in cinema from around the world, and it's immensely gratifying to see our work recognised on this global stage," she said.
Festival director Anupama Chopra said they are delighted to have "The Buckingham Murders" open the upcoming festival.
"Hansal Mehta and Ektaa Kapoor have redefined storytelling across formats. In The Buckingham Murders, they join hands with another formidable artist - Kareena. We are delighted to announce The Buckingham Murders as the opening film at Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival," she said.
The movie also stars Ash Tandon, Ranveer Brar, and Keith Allen. It is penned by Aseem Arrora, Kashyap Kapoor, and Raghav Raj Kakker.
The Jio MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival will run from October 27 to November 5, 2023.
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Telangana CM urges Amit Shah to increase sanctioned strength of IPS officers in state
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday night and urged him to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state in view of its growing administrative and security needs.
The two leaders also discussed the recent surrender of several senior Maoist leaders before the Telangana Police and other issues.
"During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the issue of Maoist surrenders and their rehabilitation. The chief minister informed Shah that significant improvements in policing have taken place in Telangana over the past two years," an official release here said.
Highlighting that 591 Maoists have laid down their arms and joined the mainstream of society during this period, the chief minister said the state government was providing them compensation and rehabilitation assistance as per the rules.
He requested the Union home minister to extend financial support from the central government for development works in the backward regions of the state.
Reddy also urged Shah to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state from 83 to 105 in line with the state's growing administrative and security needs, the statement said.
The first cadre review after the formation of Telangana was conducted in 2016, while the next review, due in 2021, was delayed and finally carried out in 2025. Even then, only seven additional IPS officers were allocated to the state, the chief minister informed Shah and requested that the third cadre review be conducted in 2026 as per the schedule.
Reddy explained that Telangana, like the rest of the country, is facing several modern challenges, including cybercrime, drug trafficking, white-collar crimes, and other emerging security threats.
He highlighted the reorganisation of the Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri Police Commissionerates, the proposed formation of the Future City Commissionerate and the rapidly growing population in Hyderabad to underline the increasing administrative requirements of the state.
