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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No govt protection, claims actress who accused CPI(M)'s Mukesh of sexual abuse
Kochi (PTI): A 51-year-old Malayalam actress who had levelled sexual abuse allegations against several male actors, including CPI(M) MLA M Mukesh, on Friday said she was not keen on pursuing her complaints due to "lack of support and protection from the Kerala government".
The complainant also alleged "carelessness" on the part of the state government and said she was "mentally exhausted" and therefore, not keen on taking the complaints forward.
"I would like to tell everyone that due to the government's carelessness and lack of protection for a woman who has come forward like this, I have suffered more than I can handle. I am mentally exhausted. They are not helping or protecting a woman.
"Therefore, I do not want to pursue the cases. It is not because I have compromised with anyone," she told reporters.
She claimed that she was made an accused in a POCSO case following her complaints against the actors, also including Maniyanpilla Raju and Idavela Babu, and the government did nothing to protect her.
"I am innocent. I want justice. I want the POCSO case against me to be probed thoroughly and quickly. If I commit suicide, the government will be responsible for it," she said.
The Muvattupuzha police had registered the case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, against the woman actor based on a complaint lodged by her relative.
According to the police, the incident occurred in 2014. The relative has alleged that she was a minor at the time of the incident and that the actor was running a sex racket.
The actor had vehemently denied the allegations and claimed that the woman relative owed her some money, and these allegations were to shift attention from her complaint against the high-profile actors.
The actress' allegations against the actors came in the wake of the disclosure of the Justice Hema Committee report which revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry, prompting calls for action against the guilty.
The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case.
The complete report was placed before the Kerala High Court which directed that it be handed over to the special investigation team (SIT) that was constituted to probe complaints of sexual abuse in the film industry.
Subsequently, 26 FIRs were registered by the SIT in connection with the revelations in the report.
