Who Dr Kamal is
Dr Kamal is a doctor in the village world of Alan Conway’s Magpie Murders manuscript. His work brings him into contact with people whose private troubles may never reach the police. He also becomes important when Pünd’s own health interrupts the investigation, making the detective a patient as well as a questioner.
Role in Magpie Murders
Pünd is treated by Kamal after becoming unwell. The encounter gives the doctor an opportunity to assess his symptoms and gives Pünd another way to learn about the village. The conversation moves between the immediate practical need for care and the broader case. It shows the detective’s determination to continue working, but also the physical limits that determination cannot remove.
Key relationships
Atticus Pünd is his patient during the inquiry. Joy Sanderling works as his receptionist, placing Kamal close to somebody personally affected by suspicion surrounding Robert Blakiston. His contemporary counterpart is Sajid Khan, the solicitor who helps Susan interpret Alan’s financial affairs.
Played by Sanjeev Kohli
Sanjeev Kohli plays Dr Kamal. Kohli’s dual casting connects medical and legal authority across the stories. The two men are separate characters, and neither should be used as a shortcut for predicting the other’s actions.
Their story and fate — spoilers
Pünd’s symptoms come from the advanced brain tumour established at the beginning of the story. Kamal’s intervention does not reveal a new poisoning plot or make him responsible for the illness. The consultation instead reinforces the urgency of the case for a man who knows his remaining time is limited. Information gathered during the visit helps Pünd continue questioning the accepted explanations around Mary’s death.
Books and television — book spoilers
The same actor plays Kamal and Sajid in Magpie. Their occupations differ, but each gives an investigator access to knowledge that is not available simply by looking at a crime scene. The television resemblance makes that structural echo easy to recognise. Dr Kamal belongs to the first series’ fictional case; Kohli’s later Moonflower appearance is as Sajid, so viewers should not expect this doctor to accompany Pünd into the earlier Moonflower novel.
Read or listen to the book
Magpie Murders (2016)
Anthony Horowitz’s novel behind the first television mystery.
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Sanjeev Kohli plays both Dr Kamal and Sajid Khan, connecting the two story worlds.