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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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
