Directed by Homi Adajania, the Netflix 2024 film Murder Mubarak is a whodunnit comedy drama. Every movie or show in this genre is filled with a whole lot of characters who have more than one reason to commit the murder and are under the assumption they would get away with it. The presence of an investigating officer will only make the matter worse, as one of the many in the crowd will eventually be caught if the telltale signs are caught on to, and the cop will catch up to the clues and see through the criminal as he or she explains their side of the story. Murder Mubarak uses the same template with several characters who have enough and more motive to kill a person.
ACP Bhavani Singh
Pankaj Tripathi as ACP Bhavan Singh would be reminiscent of Benoit Blanc from the Knives Out movies, who is hell-bent on identifying the murderer trying to get away. Pankaj Tripathi, as Bhavani Singh, is the epitome of patience and a keen observer of human nature. As an ACP in the Delhi police, his job is to look through the lies of the people, especially the elites who are part of the Royal Delhi Club. He is the only person who would be looking at this case from an objective perspective.
ACP Bhavani has been assigned the case with the sole goal of understanding the motive behind the crime followed by the understanding of the victim. Bhavani must rise above all of them and find ways to reach a definitive conclusion. He could be faltering on his path to find answers, but that neither slows down his process or deviates him from his goal. Bhavani Singh also finds out that rampant class and caste discrimination is happening in the club, which is practically unaware of the real world. Despite all the hurdles coming his way, ACP Bhavani can cut through the clutter to find the answer he is seeking, which lies in the victim’s past, his relationship with the usual suspects, and why one of them committed murder.
Bambi Todi
Sara Ali Khan, as the vivacious and bubbly Bambi Todi, is on the scene of the crime right from the beginning, hoping she could be of help to ACP Bhavani Singh and his subordinates. Of all the people in the club, this young woman comes across as an empathetic person. She is a young girl hit by tragedy and finds solace in the club and the friends she has made there since a very young age. She has an on-and-off relationship with her childhood friend, Akash Dogra, who finds a way to help her put off murky situations.
Bambi has been a kleptomaniac since childhood. Her eagerness to help the ACP does not draw any suspicion, but she can provide insider information that could help the investigation team. Her parents play no role in her life, but that does not stop her from obsessing over the club and the world within it which fascinates her. Despite all the attention she showers on the investigation team and Akash Dogra, the million-dollar question remains: is she the culprit trying to mislead the investigation?
Akash Dogra
Akash Dogra, portrayed by the amazing Vijay Verma, is a middle-class person from a humble background who is not treated right by the older members of the club. Akash Dogra is a criminal lawyer fighting the drug menace among the kids and is only a part of the club because of his close friends Yash Batra and Bambi Todi. Akash has been in love with Bambi since their childhood and has never forgotten his first love. His only connection to the victim was his name being found in the drug-related case, which involved minors.
Akash could never get out of the cycle of passion and distancing he received from Bambi. Akash, as a lawyer, involves himself in the murder investigation and helps find leads that could lead ACP Bhavani to the culprit. Unlike anyone else, Akash does not have much attachment to the club and making a move against the members comes easily to him. But ACP Bhavani Singh is keeping everyone under check, and he wonders if, behind the façade of a nice person, Akash is hiding his murderous tendencies.
Roshni Batra
The supremely talented Tisca Chopra as Roshini Batra is one of the rich elite members who is an avid gossip monger who never stops spreading lies about everyone to the entire club. As one of the richest people in the city, she is quite unaware of the realities of life and ends up making absurd statements against middle-class people and others who do not fit into her circle. She is also the mother of Yash Batra, who happens to be a former drug addict who claims to be clean now. As a mother, she is proud of and loud about Yash’s achievements. Bambi, Akash, and ACP Bhavani could see the amount of fakeness she brings to the table to keep herself safe from the investigation. The number of tactics Roshni uses to keep ACP Bhavani at bay does not work in her favor. She is yet another usual suspect because, just like everyone else, she might be hiding her motives to kill the man.
Shehnaz Noorani
Karisma Kapoor, as the yesteryear actress Shehnaz Noorani, is one of the suspects in the murder investigation that rocked the Royal Delhi Club. Unlike others, Shehnaz Noorani comes from a humble background and has earned her way into this elite club who are thriving on legacy money. Shehnaz Noorani is looked down upon by many in the club because of her profession, but that does not stop her from being one of the richest financial contributors to the club. There are plenty of secrets she has kept to herself, which puts her on the list of usual suspects by ACP Bhavani Singh. He is mesmerized by her beauty and understands the pain she has been through to reach this stage in life. Shehnaz Noorani comes across as a woman who is full of herself, but at heart, she is a fragile person hurt by life and the people around her.
Rannvijay Singh
Rannvijay Singh is a person of a royal lineage who never lets anyone forget his legacy. Portrayed by the amazing Sanjay Kapoor, Rannvijay Singh has only his family’s ancient legacy to rely on, and he can flaunt it only at the Royal Delhi Club with his money and the cars he seems to be changing like clothes. The man insists on being called “Hukum” as a mark of respect from people around him, especially in the club. There is no end to the gossiping about his love life since his wife’s passing, but he does not let anything get to his skin. He and Leo Mathews, the victim, seemed to have had an argument a day before his death, which brought Rannvijay under the radar of suspicion. A man of many egos, he could very well be the killer and is hiding under the guise of his coat of arms that comes from his family legacy, one he believes guarantees some immunity.
Guppie Ram
The amazing Brijendra Kala as Guppie Ram is a worker at the Royal Delhi Club who is affected by dementia. His deteriorating memory is never a cause for concern for anyone in the club, as the man harbors a lot of secrets. He is not a suspect because of his ailment. Guppie Ram could come across as helpful, as someone who loves his cat and has flashes of some memories from the past. He could be the key to what ACP Bhavani Singh is looking for to crack open the case.
Leo Mathews
Newbie Aashim Gulati is Leo Mathew, who is killed in the Royal Delhi Club’s gym, kicking off an investigation. Leo Mathews is a Zumba instructor and trainer who happens to have too many secrets about the supremely rich members. An orphan from birth, he used every bit of information he received while working at the RDC for his benefit, and it worked out well for him. As a result, he is murdered, and ACP Bhavani wants to get to the bottom of this case and find out the culprit and the motive behind this act.
Miscellaneous characters
Cookie Katoch: Yesteryear superstar Dimple Kapadia as Cookie Katoch is a rich sculptor artist. Her character is a satirical take on many so-called talented artists who are promoted only because of their ultra-rich peers, who are obligated to purchase their work. She is an eccentric character who has no reason to get rid of Leo Mathews, but her character could be the stepping stone who helps the investigator identify the culprit. Cookie Katoch is a typical Delhi-rich woman who has no qualms about drinking alcohol in the early hours of every morning and spends the rest of the day gossiping with club members.
Yash Batra: Suhail Nayyar, also known as Yash Batra, is someone who claims to be a clean and sober guy after his several stints in rehab. Reality is different, and there is a lot to believe as to why he could have killed Leo Mathews as well. Yash Batra is a brat and a typical Delhi man who wouldn’t have to look too hard to find a reason to begin a physical altercation with anyone, including his childhood friend Akash Dogra. Yash is also a usual suspect because of his history with narcotics, but only time will tell if he is capable of carrying out a crime under the influence of substances.
Devendra Bhatti: The brilliant writer, actor, and director Deven Bhojani, also known as Devendra Bhatti, is the typical rich Punjabi man who is the current president of the Royal Delhi Club. It was under his supervision that the murder took place, and just like every other elite, he was taking this case very lightly until ACP Bhavani made it clear the case would take a week to ten days. Just like everyone else, the man is all about class and caste privilege and does not shy away from showcasing it to the police investigating the murder.
Sub-Inspector Padam Kumar: Priyank Tiwary, as SI Padam Kumar, is the subordinate everyone would want. He works with ACP Bhavani in this case to understand the nuances, clues, and motives behind the crime. This will lead him and Bhavani to a conclusive answer, but meanwhile, he will have to understand every move taken by the usual suspects and guide his boss in the right direction. Padam Kumar comes across as a younger version of Bhavani Singh who is keen to find answers and does not shy away from the road less taken.
