Kareena Kapoor Khan to make digital debut with Netflix film
While mainstream filmmakers are still reluctant to feature older female actors in lead roles, offering them smaller supporting roles instead, streaming platforms are increasingly exploring storylines that can accommodate them as protagonists
NEW DELHI: Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan will make her digital debut with a yet-to-be titled Netflix film, to be directed by Sujoy Ghosh, best known for thrillers like Kahaani and Badla. The murder mystery will also star Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma. The film is reportedly based on the 2005 novel The Devotion of Suspect X.
“Our members love engaging with new thrillers - be it for the suspense, the twists or the unexpectedness of what happens next. Thrillers are integral to our Indian film slate and we can’t wait to bring to our members our adaptation of the bestseller, The Devotion of Suspect X," Pratiksha Rao, director, films and licensing, Netflix India said in a statement.
To be sure, while mainstream filmmakers are still reluctant to feature older female actors in lead roles, offering them smaller supporting roles instead, streaming platforms are increasingly exploring storylines that can accommodate them as protagonists.
For instance, Raveena Tandon-starrer Aranyak and Pooja Bhatt’s Bombay Begums on Netflix were instant hits. So were Amazon Prime Video’s Panchayat, featuring Neena Gupta, and Disney Hotstar’s Aarya, starring Sushmita Sen. The trend has caught pace with Netflix’s Finding Anamika, starring Madhuri Dixit streaming recently, and Amazon’s Hush Hush, featuring Juhi Chawla and Ayesha Jhulka slated for the coming months.
Netflix alone has 15 titles on women-centric themes coming up in 2022, and since 2021, 18 of its originals have featured women in central roles. Shows and films in the coming months include Mai, Chakda Xpress, Heeramandi, Monica, O My Darling and the second season of Masaba Masaba, among others.
“I can’t wait to begin work on this exciting project. It's one that has all the right ingredients… a great story, a visionary director and a super talented cast and crew," Kareena Kapoor Khan said in a statement.
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