Jasmeet ‘Jas’ Bhamra (Kareena Kapoor Khan) loses her young son in a shootout inside a bowling alley in London and is unable to continue working as a police officer in the city. She takes a demotion to work in the quieter surroundings of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Perhaps his misfortune is that he is assigned the case of a missing Indian child as his first assignment, despite her protests that it might cause him more depression. Gradually, Jace finds himself deeply involved in the case, which turns into a murder investigation. Troubled parents Daljeet Kohli (Ranveer Brar) and Preeti Kohli (Prabhleen Sandhu) are facing problems in their marriage and their superior Hardik ‘Hardy’ Patel (Ash Tandon) is also hiding secrets. Drug involvement as well as increasing religious tensions add to the problems. The police catch the criminal Saqib Choudhary (Kapil Redekar) and it seems like an open and shut solution. Only Jace thinks there’s more to it than meets the eye.
It’s a pleasure to see Kareena Kapoor Khan blending seamlessly into a film that is a mix of British and Indian talent. Her star power shines as she delivers a captivating performance, gracefully taking center stage and lifting up those around her. He is completely focused on his performance and the roots of his character. It is believed that this film will be the first film in the series and it looks like Kareena has found a franchise worthy of her acting. Chef Ranveer Brar also looks impressive in his first full-length role, playing a largely misogynistic husband who loves his son and cannot come to terms with the tragedy of losing him. Mention should also be made of Ash Tandon, who is good in her layered role of a grief-stricken police officer, and Prabhleen Sandhu, who is sunshine during the film’s terrifying climax. British writer, musician and actor Keith Allen is impressive as the sympathetic police chief. Sarah Jane Dias also appears in a brief role.
The film is a thoughtfully crafted police procedural that delivers all the intrigue and twists you’d expect from such stories. Hansal Mehta has transformed himself into a British director and has made an excellent English film. He has cleverly cast British actors in the lead roles and the mix of Punjabi, Hindi and English in the film gives it a whiff of authenticity. The cinematography, production design and sound design make the proceedings look realistic. The film is an atmospheric masterpiece, more concerned with human emotion than solving a mystery. But it still tells a compelling story. As stated earlier, the film looks like an origin story of a franchise, and given the good start, we should be prepared for more stories set in this particular pocket universe.