22 September 2023 , 11:04
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One of Bollywood's most popular actors makes her streaming debut in Netflix's latest original thriller - the hotly anticipated Suspect X.
Kareena Kapoor Khan - one of India's most Googled celebrities - usually appears in highly glamorous roles, so it's refreshing to see her dressed down and without make-up in such a gritty tale. She plays Maya, a woman living peacefully with her daughter in a remote town, until her abusive husband tracks her down.
But next door lives a talented mathematician who, after developing a fondness for Maya, uses his power of logic to help her escape - while also avoiding the attentions of a visiting handsome policeman.
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Hotly anticipated, the trailer for Suspect X racked up more than a staggering 40 million views in just a few days on YouTube. One YouTuber put this down to the 'Kareena effect', with others saying how much they couldn't wait to watch the film.
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Kapoor Khan told Deadline she jumped at the chance to take on such an unusual role for her. She said: “I’ve always thought that for my debut on a streaming platform, I should try to do something that is slightly different to what I’ve done on the big screen".
Describing her character, Kapoor says: “She’s mysterious. You never really know what Maya is thinking, the way (writer-director) Sujoy wrote it, you’re always wondering, what exactly happened, what is she thinking, is she actually bad? I liked all those nuances that Sujoy brought to the script.”
It has been a long-held dream for Sujoy Ghosh to bring a Hindi-language adaptation of Keigo Higashino's 2005 mystery novel The Devotion of Suspect X to the screen. Ghosh has teased what can be expected from the movie, saying: "“Set in Kalimpong the film sees a love story, a criminal investigation, a budding attraction, mastermind plotting and the will to do anything for love. Essayed by my dream cast of Kareena, Jaideep and Vijay, all in roles so different from what they have been seen in before.”
Also known as Jaane Jaan ('beloved'), the adaptation was first announced back in 2015 and was originally to star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sacred Games star Saif Ali Khan. But it never happened. Years down the line, Khan’s wife - Kareena Kapoor - gladly stepped into the lead role in place of Rai Bachchan.
Netflix achieved a major coup in landing Kareena, who is a phenomenally popular star in India. She is most well-known for creating iconic romcom heroines such as chatterbox Geet in Jab We Met and rich diva Poo in Kabhi Khushi Khabie Gham. But the talented actor has also flexed her more dramatic side in recent films such as Talaash and Laal Singh Chaddha.
Suspect X is out now on Netflix.