She has been known as much for her trend-setting fashion as her film work and Kareena Kapoor Khan is probably entering the most creative phase of her career as an actress. After over 60 films in her kitty over the past 23 years since her debut in Refugee, Kareena, who knows how to turn heads even in a pair of slippers with pajamas and a T-shirt, seems to be having a ball at work, collaborating with talented creators, directors and co-actors.
On Kareena’s 43rd birthday, we list three upcoming releases where we are expecting her to break the mould and take us by surprise.
Jaane Jaan; streaming on Netflix from September 21
The release of this Sujoy Ghosh thriller is also a celebration of the birthday of its leading actor, Kareena, who makes her OTT debut as Maya D’Souza, a single mother (of a teenage girl) who becomes a suspect when her estranged husband goes missing. Adapted from the Japanese novel The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino, Jaane Jaan has — instead of popular Bollywood heroes who Kareena is usually paired with — two character actors opposite her. Jaideep Ahlawat as Maya’s suspicious-looking neighbour and Vijay Varma as the investigating cop will give her tough competition in the acting department but we feel Kareena is up for the challenge.
The Buckingham Murders; slated to release in November
In this Ektaa Kapoor production, Kareena has got together with ace storyteller Hansal Mehta — another unusual choice of director for her. The Buckingham Murders, which is one of the three Indian films that made it to the 67th BFI London Film Festival, is a gritty thriller where Kareena plays detective Jasmeet Bhamra, also a single mother, who, after losing her child in a shooting spree, is assigned the case of the disappearance of a 10-year-old child in Buckinghamshire, where eventually everyone becomes a suspect.
Touted as an ‘atmospheric thriller’ that explores the themes of loss, trauma, closure and immigrant experience, the Hansal Mehta film promises a ‘career-best’ performance by its leading star actress. The shoot rushes show Kareena donning a never-seen-before intense avatar.
The Crew; slated to release in March 2024
As a follow-up to Veere Di Wedding, Kareena joins hands with Ektaa Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor to headline The Crew cast along with Tabu and recent National Award winner Kriti Sanon.
Revolving around the lives of women in the aviation industry and the airline business, The Crew, directed by Rajesh Krishnan, promises to be a laugh riot where three ambitious women hustle to make it in life but get caught in a web of lies. Singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh and comedian-actor Kapil Sharma will be seen in key roles in The Crew.
