Engrossing as its narrative is, Keigo Higashino’s Japanese mystery novel The Devotion Of Suspect X has inspired four cinematic adaptations—the 2008 Japanese movie, Suspect X, the south Korean edition, Perfect Number, that followed two years later, the 2019 Tamil offering, Kolaigaran, and the Chinese version. Even as an English adaptation is expected to be underway, film aficionados will be able to enjoy the Hindi version, Jaane Jaan, this month.

Producer Jay Shewakramani couldn’t put his faith in anyone other than Sujoy Ghosh when it came to adapting the story for an Indian setting.

“The beauty of this narrative is that, inherently, it is a love story. Emotions are universal. Sujoy [Ghosh] adapted it to be based in the mysterious town of Kalimpong. Pick any Sujoy-film, and you’ll see how easily he roots his characters in the local setting. For instance, [his previous film] Badla was adapted from a Spanish movie, and was shot in Scotland. Even then, it was steeped in Indian values. He knows how to make a true-blue Indian story,” says Shewakramani.

Higashino’s tale explores the lengths to which one can go to protect those they love. It follows a brilliant mathematician, Yasuko Hanaoka, who inadvertently becomes involved in a murder. Consumed by her love, her neighbour, Ishigami, a fellow mathematician, deftly plans to help her cover up the crime. As the police investigation ensues, a riveting battle of wits between Ishigami and the brilliant detective Kusanagi unfolds. Call it fate, or a stroke of luck that the film that now stars Kareena Kapoor Khan was initially set to feature her actor-husband Saif Ali Khan in a narrative that was expected to have the protagonist’s gender reversed.

“Saif and I had just [come up with] the idea of the film, Jawaani Jaaneman. Sujoy was to do the film then [with producer Ekta Kapoor], but it never materialized. I would chase Sujoy every year, telling him to make the film,” he says, as subsequent reports of the film’s narrative being all too similar to Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam began to make their way online.

Khan had expressed his apprehensions at the time. However, during the lockdown, Shewakramani says he finally managed to get Ghosh’s nod to roll with it. This time, they took the film to Kapoor, who had heard about it from Khan for several years.

“She loved it instantly. The story convincingly fits into the Indian milieu. We started the film towards the end of the lockdown. The story begins in Kalimpong and Darjeeling. Because hill stations are socially distant, the larger chunk of the shoot was wrapped up, smoothly. In Bombay, we had a shorter schedule.”

While a Sujay Ghosh-directed venture that features Kapoor would be considered an offering apt for a theatrical release, Shewakramani says he found the perfect home for the film on the web platform. “It was always planned as a Netflix movie. There is a thrill that we experience when our film simultaneously releases in 250 countries at once.”

Vijay Varma is on a hot streak. In only a year, the actor shone bright in Darlings (2022), Dahaad and now Lust Stories 2. “I feel on top of the world,” he smiles, when we sit down to chat with him. The actor made waves this summer with his intense depiction of a serial killer in the widely acclaimed Dahaad, following it up with the Netflix anthology that dropped this weekend.

Tell him he has come a long way since his breakout turn in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy (2019), and he reflects, “There is so much content coming out every week, across languages. When everyone stops to look at my show, it’s amazing. I finally feel seen. It feels like I’m moving in the right direction. While these may seem like dangerous stories, I want to continue doing them.”

Unheard stories excite him. Varma’s second criterion is directors. He admits his good work is the result of finding like-minded filmmakers. “I’d rather be a log of wood in a good director’s film than be the lead in a movie made by a filmmaker I don’t admire. I am glad Sujoy Ghosh thought of me for The Devotion Of Suspect X and Lust Stories 2. He is teaching me so much, including Bangla,” he laughs. 

While their segment in Lust Stories 2 received mixed reviews, the actor stands by the storytelling. “A short film is challenging because a lot of it is on paper, but there’s time constraint. It’s an actor’s job to internalize the character.”

Over the past year, there has been intense scrutiny on OTT content. As an actor who gravitates towards risky stories, does he find himself curtailing his choices? “I’ve shot stuff that sometimes doesn’t make it to the edit because the maker feels it doesn’t serve his story. Filmmakers know what can or cannot get them in trouble. Actors surrender to the script and the makers’ vision. Censorship is not always from the outside; makers have their own moral compass. I’m working with some of the finest directors in the country, and they are far more intelligent in handling censorship than actors.”

We can’t end the chat without asking him for an update on The Devotion Of Suspect X, which sees him alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat. Varma teases us, saying, “Uska dhamaka jaldi aayega.”

In a tender scene in Sujoy Ghosh’s segment from Lust Stories 2, leading man Vijay Varma plants a kiss on the forehead of his ladylove, played by Tamannaah Bhatia. How does that fit in an anthology with lust as its central theme?

“Kissing a forehead can go down south too, pun intended,” says the director, who has whipped up a thriller within the premise. The Netflix anthology brings together directors Ghosh, R Balki, Konkona Sen Sharma and Amit R Sharma.

Telling a story about lust foremost requires sensitivity. Ghosh says he was mindful of his interpretation of the subject. “At every step during the writing process, you are taking judgment calls, drawing the line between lewdness and love. We shouldn’t do things just because we can. That’s what I kept telling myself. That’s my only censorship during the writing period.”

Did he have to curb his instinct at any point, given the immense scrutiny on OTT offerings now? “We did all that our characters had to. Every creator is a slave to their story. For example, if I feel a story demands nudity and I can’t show that for some reason, I will skip making that film. I will look for another story. There is no middle ground. Fortunately, the CBFC and I have had a pleasant run so far.”

Early on, the director knew that creating a safe space for his actors was of utmost importance while filming the intimate scenes. “We brought in intimacy coordinators to correctly choreograph the scenes. If there isn’t an on-paper mandate, there should be one. I want to provide a sense of security to my actors and give them a safe space to perform.”

After the short film, Ghosh —known to have a knack for thrillers—will display his skills in the adaptation of Keigo Higashino’s bestseller The Devotion Of Suspect X. The Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat and Varma-starrer comes years after Drishyam, which had glaring similarities with the Japanese novel.

Considering Drishyam has become a successful franchise over the years, is there a pressure to make his offering different? “I won’t comment on other people’s films. We have worked on our script to make a film that hopefully everyone will love.”

First things first, Kareena Kapoor Khan admits that she is not a Marvel fanatic. But the promise of playing the spirited Black Widow can lure the best of us. “Black Widow is fierce, powerful, intelligent, and calculative. She has a boss lady vibe. I resonated with it,” smiles the actor, who will voice the iconic character in the Hindi adaptation of Marvel’s audio series Wastelanders.

Her excitement was only furthered by actor-husband Saif Ali Khan, who plays Peter Quill in the project. “Saif is a huge fan of this world. When I told him that I would voice Black Widow, he said, ‘You have to do it because no one else can.’”

Besides the duo, Masaba Gupta, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharad Kelkar and Mithila Palkar will form the voice cast of the Audible series. Relying on one’s voice to attract an audience is presumably tough, especially for stars who are known for their visual appeal. Kapoor understands the challenge, but after over 20 years in the movies, she derives pleasure from risky opportunities.

“We have a fabulous director [Mantra Mugdh] who will guide us in the process. This being a Marvel world, it has a lot of action. I don’t know how we’ll [convey it], sitting in a cubicle,” she laughs.

To Kapoor, Wastelanders is an attempt at expanding her range. At this stage, the actor doesn’t want to do it all; instead, she wants to cherry-pick projects. So, while she has a thriller in Sujoy Ghosh’s The Devotion Of Suspect X, she also has a moody mystery in Hansal Mehta’s next.

“Now, I don’t feel the need to be seen everywhere. [I have] been there, done that. In The Devotion, I was excited to work with Sujoy, Jaideep and Vijay [Varma] because they come from different cinematic worlds. In Hansal’s film, the cast is from the UK, and the film is in English. It’s about trying to do different things. [It’s not] about chasing success, but chasing the desire to get better with every film.”

Kareena Kapoor Khan is the happiest when facing a camera. More so when she is on director Sujoy Ghosh’s set. The actor, who wrapped up the shoot of The Devotion Of Suspect X adaptation in June, says that she thoroughly enjoyed the creative collaboration with the director, and co-actors Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma.

“I miss being on Sujoy’s sets. [Working on that set] every day was like getting a chance to feel the [joy of] working with Jaideep and Vijay. It added a new dimension to me,” says the actor.

With the Netflix film, she was assured of a gripping script right at the onset. The movie is a screen adaptation of Keigo Higashino’s bestseller of the same name, which revolves around a single mother who accidentally kills her ex-husband. A battle of wits follows as her mathematician neighbour helps her cover up the crime, staying a step ahead of the investigating police officer. The apt casting, she says, has elevated the material further.

“I was excited when Sujoy told me he was casting them. I instantly said I am on [board]. Saif [Ali Khan, actor-husband] told me, ‘You better be on your toes. These two actors are at the top of their game.’ They truly are flawless.”

Kareena Kapoor Khan spent the summer in the picturesque locales of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, as she shot for the screen adaptation of The Devotion Of Suspect X with co-stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma. Now, the trio have returned to Mumbai for the next leg of the murder mystery. It is heard that director Sujoy Ghosh has set the stage for a three-week schedule in the city. 

A source reveals, “Over this week, the team did workshops for certain key sequences. The shoot will begin next week at Mehboob Studios in Bandra, where the production design team has built a set. While Sujoy has lined up mostly indoor scenes for this stint, some crucial portions will be shot outdoors.” Ghosh is keen to wrap up the movie before the Mumbai monsoon hits its peak in July.

The Netflix film is an adaptation of Japanese author Keigo Higashino’s bestseller of the same name, which revolves around a single mother who accidentally kills her ex-husband. A battle of wits follows as her mathematician neighbour helps her cover up the crime, staying one step ahead of the investigating police officer.

Earlier this week, we told you that yesteryear actress Helen is making a comeback with a crime drama. Now, Karisma Kapoor is in Kolkata to shoot for the Abhinay Deo-directorial. The actress is staying at a luxury heritage property on the city’s outskirts. Actor Surya Sharma, who is also part of the cast, is staying at the same property.

Helen will also be coming to Kolkata for the shoot, said a source, revealing that the team will be staying in the city for a month. A part of the shoot will take place in north Kolkata as well.

A source close to the team told us, “Karisma Kapoor is a lovely, young-hearted, amicable person with no starry air. She is busy shooting from morning to night, and she loves the shoot location.”

A neo-noir crime drama, the OTT series titled Brown — The First Case is based on Abheek Barua’s book, City Of Death, and went on the floors recently.

Meanwhile, younger sister Kareena Kapoor Khan will also be shooting for an OTT project directed by Sujoy Ghosh in West Bengal’s Lava for the next seven-eight days. On Wednesday, Kareena took to Instagram and shared a photo from the film’s set in Kalimpong district. “Day 1-Kalimpong. . . Devotion of suspect X,” she wrote in the caption.

Over the past year since the birth of her second son Jeh, Kareena Kapoor Khan may have sifted through numerous scripts, but it is only now that she is ready to report to a film set. The actor will take The Devotion Of Suspect X — director Sujoy Ghosh’s screen adaptation of Japanese author Keigo Higashino’s acclaimed work of the same name — on floors next week. It is heard that the first schedule will be conducted in Darjeeling.

A source reveals, “It’s a two-week schedule in the hill station that will see Kareena, Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma film key scenes. Meanwhile, a part of the production design team will erect a set in Mehboob Studios. The Mumbai leg will kick off by May-end, with Sujoy hoping to shoot a chunk of the film before the rains hit the city.”

The Japanese bestseller revolves around a single mother who accidentally kills her ex-husband. What follows is a battle of wits as her neighbour helps her cover up the crime, staying one step ahead of the investigating cop. The Hindi adaptation is slated to stream on Netflix next year.

For a long time, there’s been buzz around actor Kareena Kapoor Khan’s OTT debut. And, in an exclusive chat with us, she’s confirmed that her first web project will be Netflix’s screen adaptation of Japanese author Keigo Higashino’s acclaimed work, The Devotion Of Suspect X, helmed by director Sujoy Ghosh. This also marks Khan’s return to the acting world after delivering her second baby, Jeh, last year.

“I’m very excited to be a part of this project for several reasons. This film will mark my streaming debut and it’s my return to acting after my second child with a stellar cast and crew,” Khan says, adding that the layered narrative of the murder mystery convinced her to take the plunge.

She explains, “The film is a screen adaptation of a global bestseller. It has so many aspects to it — murder, mystery, thrill and much more, which put in the hands of our inimitable director Ghosh is something I am keen to start work on. I’ve seen his films and I love his work. I love that he has his own method and style and is so sure of what he wants to do. Every actor appreciates a director with a vision.”

The freedom to push boundaries as an artiste is something that got Khan curious about the web. “I am excited about my OTT debut and eager to start work on the project. I’m a huge consumer of content on OTT and I’m blown away by the quality of content available that suits every kind of audience. The web world is not new in our house, especially with Saif (Ali Khan, actor-husband), who starred in one of India’s most well-known shows, Sacred Games,” she says.

Lauding the medium for writing a new script for creative voices, especially women, Khan adds, “The films and series (on OTT) these days are more content driven than they used to be, which offers creators, actors and viewers the freedom to experiment, engage and experience an ocean of new stories. And women are definitely leading the way when it comes to this space. The scripts written for them have no confines and that, to me, is the most exciting part.”

The 41-year-old will feature alongside actors Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma in the project that is yet to go on floors: “I am looking forward to working with them. Both of them are such fine actors.”

Fate works in mysterious ways. In 2015, Sujoy Ghosh had announced the screen adaptation of Keigo Higashino’s most acclaimed work, The Devotion of Suspect X, with Saif Ali Khan. While the project did not materialise, the director wasn’t quite ready to let go of a story that is counted among the best mysteries in recent times.

Seven years down the line, he is ready to helm the adaptation, and in a strange twist of fate, it will be headlined by Khan’s actor-wife Kareena Kapoor Khan. The film — also starring Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma — will go on floors in March. It will mark Kapoor’s first project since the birth of her younger son Jehangir.

Higashino’s novel revolves around a single mother who accidentally kills her ex-husband. What follows is a catch-me-if-you-can game as her mathematician neighbour helps her cover up the crime, constantly staying one step ahead of the investigating officer. Kapoor, who plays the central role, has begun prepping for the yet-untitled project.

A source reveals, “Kareena met Sujoy several times to discuss the prep and her look in the film. The cast will soon begin workshops. If things go as planned, the team will head to a hill station in West Bengal next month, where the film will be shot in a start-to-finish schedule.” 

Ghosh has displayed his expertise in the mystery genre with Kahaani (2012) and Badla (2019). For his latest endeavour that is produced by Jay Shewakramani, Akshai Puri, Thomas Kim and him, the filmmaker has tweaked the narrative to make way for an intense love story. “The neighbour’s role is played by Jaideep. Sujoy has woven in a complex love story between the leads that adds a new dimension to the thriller,” adds the source. 

Malayalam thriller Drishyam (2013), which spawned a Hindi remake, had a largely similar plot as the novel, but director Jeethu Joseph insisted it was an original story.  

mid-day reached out to Ghosh, who remained unavailable for comment.

Kareena Kapoor Khan, who shot for Laal Singh Chaddha opposite Aamir Khan during her pregnancy, welcomed her second child earlier this year in February. Now, it looks like the actress is ready to get back on a film set again. There’s buzz that her first movie to roll out post her second pregnancy will be with filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh. The actress is expected to headline the Hindi film adaptation of the novel The Devotion Of Suspect X.

The mystery-thriller by author Keigo Higashino has already been made in other languages, including Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Although Hansal Mehta and Ekta Kapoor had announced a film with Kareena, her movie with Sujoy is likely to take off sooner. If all goes as planned, she will play the central character. Vijay Varma, who rose to fame with Gully Boy, is in talks to essay a pivotal part. The rest of the casting and paperwork is still underway.

Sujoy is expected to start shooting early next year and wrap the film in two months in parts of North East India before the actress starts Hansal and Ekta’s venture. We reached out to Sujoy and Kareena’s teams, but they chose not to comment.

After a tumultuous 2014, Saif Ali Khan has been in a phase of deep introspection. After evaluating his strengths and weaknesses, the nawab is treading cautiously now that he's on the wrong side of 40. Mirror has learnt that the actor has just green-lit a project to be directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, who has previously made two critically-acclaimed films, Udaan and Lootera.

A source close to the development revealed that the film is a “crazy-thriller with oodles of high-octane stunts and deadpan humor“, unlike anything Motwane has made before. Saif, excited by the subject, has given his verbal consent and is figuring out his dates. The film should roll towards the end of the year.

Before that, Saif will start shooting for another thriller, Sujoy Ghosh's adaptation of the Japanese novel, The Devotion of Suspect X. It co-stars Kangana Ranaut, whose character along with her daughter, is on the run following the murder of her husband, with cop Nawazuddin Siddiqui giving chase. Meanwhile Vishal Bhardwaj's next, with Saif and Shahid Kapoor, rolls this winter.

Motwane was earlier supposed to kick-start a vigilante drama, Bhavesh Joshi, with Sidharth Malhotra in the lead. He admitted to Mirror (February 4) that the theme was no longer topical. “It was written when the last government was in power and corruption was rampant. There was a lot that was wrong with the city...the country... and this was affecting everyone. I'll make it someday, it's a relevant subject, and I'm passionate about it,“  he'd asserted.

With Bhavesh Joshi on the backburner, Motwane has spent the past few months fine-tuning the script with Saif who has not been on a movie set in the last six months. “He wants to be convinced that it's a role that suits his age and personality, before he goes ahead with it. Motwane and Vishal's film, along with Sameer Sharma's Jugalbandi are all he has on his plate for now,“ added the source.