Little has been known so far about Kareena Kapoor Khan’s next with Hansal Mehta, which also marks her foray into production. In August, the actor-producer had told mid-day that she would be seen as a rookie cop in the thriller (Hansal and I come from different worlds, Aug 1). Now, a little digging has revealed that the project — the working title of which is The Buckingham Murders — sees Kapoor as a detective who, only months after losing her child, is investigating the murder of a 10-year-old in Buckinghamshire. In her first collaboration with Mehta, she is said to be tackling one of her most intense roles.

Sharing further details, a source from the set reveals, “Kareena plays Jass, a detective-mother who is engulfed in grief when she loses her eight-year-old child in a mob attack. Struggling to come to terms with the loss, she shifts to High Wycombe, and is soon tasked with the investigation of a 10-year-old child’s murder case. As she delves deeper into the investigation, she finds herself going down a rabbit hole of secrets, where almost everyone in the small town becomes a suspect. She has to not only process her grief, but also overcome her pre-conceived notions of right and wrong as she tries to find the truth in this murder mystery.”

With the story set largely in the Indian community of High Wycombe, the leading lady is aided by an able supporting cast. The source adds, “Chef Ranveer Brar, who featured in Hansal’s segment of Modern Love Mumbai, plays one of the principal characters. Australia-based actor-director Sanjeev Mehra plays Kareena’s husband.”

The shoot, which kicked off in London on October 6, is moving at a rapid pace, with the director intending to call it a wrap by November 20. “The dialogues have been written by Raghav Raj Kakker and Kashyap Kapoor. British actors form a chunk of the cast, and were zeroed in on by UK-based casting directors. In keeping with the role, Mickey Contractor has given Kareena a no-nonsense look with minimal make-up, while Krutika is in charge of the hair and make-up of the remaining cast.” 

mid-day reached out to Mehta and producer Ekta Kapoor, who remained unavailable for comment.