The Big Picture
- Netflix released a trailer for the new Hindi film Jaane Jaan, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan in her streaming debut. It’s an adaptation of a popular Japanese novel.
- The Indian adaptation reframes the narrative through the perspective of the female protagonist, played by Kapoor Khan, who may or may not have committed the crime.
- Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, known for his work in the mystery genre, and starring acclaimed actors Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat. The film is set in the atmospheric town of Kalimpong.
Netflix on Tuesday unveiled the first trailer for its new Hindi-language film — arguably one of its biggest releases of the year — Jaane Jaan, which also marks Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan’s streaming debut. Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, Jaane Jaan is an adaptation of the bestselling Japanese novel “The Devotion of Suspect X,” written by Keigo Higashino. Incidentally, a lesser-known Higashino novel recently served as the basis of another Hindi-language Netflix film — Monica, O My Darling.
Right off the bat, it’s clear that Ghosh is making noticeable changes to the original story, the most prominent being the re-framing of the narrative through the perspective of the female protagonist. “The Devotion of Suspect X,” which has already been adapted in China, Japan, and Korea, is told through the eyes of a math teacher who comes to the rescue of his neighbor, who murders her abusive husband in self-defense. The teacher then helps her cover up the crime, while she is being investigated by the police. Kapoor Khan stars as the mysterious Maya D’Souza, who may or may not have committed the crime herself in the Indian adaptation.
The police officer in Jaane Jaan is named Karan and is played by Vijay Varma, an acclaimed actor who broke out with the 2019 rap drama Gully Boy, which was selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. As it turns out, Karan is old friends with the teacher Naren, who is played in the movie by Jaideep Ahlawat; he broke after years in the trenches with the 2020 Prime Video series Paatal Lok. Karan tells Naren that he is investigating the disappearance of a man and that the prime suspect is his neighbor, Maya. Jaane Jaan is set in the misty hillside town of Kalimpong, which gives it plenty of atmosphere. The trailer also reveals some of Ghosh’s trademark playfulness, especially in shots where Naren appears to be practicing martial arts.
Ghosh Is a Proven Hand in the Mystery Genre
Ghosh most recently worked with both Netflix and Varma on the anthology film Lust Stories 2, in which he directed one of four segments. Before that, he created and directed the mystery series Typewriter for the streamer. Kapoor Khan, who made her acting debut in the year 2000, has consistently remained among the top Bollywood stars of her generation and was last seen in Laal Singh Chaddha, the Hindi remake of Robert Zemeckis’ classic Forrest Gump. This is a bit of a creative departure for her; she is best known for her performances in large-scale Bollywood blockbusters, although she has occasionally dabbled in more mid-budget fare as well. Her husband, actor Saif Ali Khan, was among the first mainstream Indian stars to lead a streaming project — 2018’s crime series Sacred Games.
Jaane Jaan will be released on Netflix on Kapoor Khan’s birthday on September 21. You can watch the trailer here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
