The Big Picture

Netflix unveils teaser for highly anticipated Hindi adaptation Jaane Jaan, based on best-selling Japanese novel The Devotion of Suspect X. The 30-second teaser introduces the lead characters played by Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Vijay Varma, while keeping the plot under wraps. Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, Jaane Jaan is set to release on September 21, coinciding with Kapoor Khan’s birthday, and promises a mix of action, violence, and romance.

Netflix on Friday unveiled a teaser for perhaps its biggest Indian film of the year — Jaane Jaan, a Hindi-language adaptation of the bestselling Japanese novel “The Devotion of Suspect X.” Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, the mystery thriller marks the streaming debut of Kareena Kapoor Khan, widely regarded as one of the most popular Bollywood actresses of her generation.

The 30-second teaser doesn’t reveal anything about the film’s plot, which means that viewers that are acquainted with the source novel wouldn’t recognize familiar scenes. But it provides first looks at the characters played by Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma, and also reveals the film’s release date, which will coincide with Kapoor Khan’s birthday on September 21. The teaser opens with a shot of Kapoor Khan’s character singing the classic Hindi song “Jaane Jaan Dhoondta Phir Raha,” originally composed in 1972 by R.D. Burman, and performed by Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar — all three icons of Indian cinema.

We then cut to an almost unrecognizable Ahlawat, who appears to have been buried under thick prosthetics and a hairpiece, and Varma, who seems to be in a rush as he steps out of his car. The second half of the teaser reveals a quick burst of shots from the film, which, when paused and considered individually, reveal action, violence and even a little romance. The source novel, which involves the cover-up of a murder, has been adapted for cinema several times before, most notably in Japan, South Korea and China. Ghosh, who most recently directed a segment in the Netflix anthology film Lust Stories 2, and previously created and directed the mystery series Typewriter for the streamer, spoke about his love for the novel, and described it as “the most amazing love story” he has ever read, which is a categorically unusual take. In his own words:

“Jaane Jaan is based on the book which has been the love of my life for a long, long time. From the day I read Devotion of Suspect X, I wanted to adapt it into a film. It was the most amazing love story I had ever read and today thanks to Kareena, Jaideep, and Vijay that story is alive on screen. We all worked very hard to tell this story and hopefully the audience will love it as much as we do.”

Image via Netflix

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Kapoor Khan made her acting debut in the year 2000, and has since starred in blockbuster Hindi movies such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Heroine, 3 Idiots and Bajrangi Bhaijaan. She last starred in another remake, Laal Singh Chaddha, which was based on the classic Forrest Gump. Jaane Jaan is the latest in a string of high-profile Indian adaptations this year, after Rana Naidu (the remake of Ray Donovan), The Trial (a remake of The Good Wife) and Class (the Hindi adaptation of Élite). You can watch the Jaane Jaan teaser here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.