Kareena Kapoor Khan’s new character in Hansal Mehta’s next inspired by Kate Winslet’s in Mare of Easttown
The actress has also called it a wrap on the Indian adaptation of Japanese author Higashino Keigo's bestselling 2005 novel The Devotion of Suspect X by filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh.
In her forthcoming film, Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan is set to play a role that is inspired from Hollywood star Kate Winslet's Emmy-winning performance in the web series Mare of Easttown.
Kapoor Khan, who was last seen in Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), wrapped up the film recently. She portrays a mother and detective who is tasked with investigating a homicide in a rural area of Buckinghamshire. It has been shot in the UK under the working title The Buckingham Murders. Hansal Mehta is attached as director.
“I love Mare of Easttown and when Hansal came to me, I said this is something that I’ve really been dying to do. So we’ve molded a little bit on those lines, she plays a detective cop in that,” Kareena told Variety. “It’s the first time that I’ve dabbled in that.”
“I speak fluently in Hindi and I think also in Hindi because that’s been what I’ve been doing all my life,” Kapoor Khan added. “When you’re thinking in Hindi, but speaking in English, it was actually a difficult task to do because it was the reverse situation for the first time.”
The project, produced by Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms and Mahana Film also marks Kareena’s debut as a producer. Talking about the same, she said, “I never really thought that I would be a producer. But when I heard this subject, and the fact that it’s very different to a regular Hindi movie, it’s a very different take to things. So I thought that will be really nice and different.”
She continued, “And when Ektaa and Hansal told me that ‘since you love the script so much, why don’t you come on board as a creative producer as well, and take some calls as to what you think also and give your name to it’ – after much thought, I thought that if I love something so much, and this is a character that I wanted to play, I think it’s fun to do it. It’s the first time. I don’t know if I’ll repeatedly do it. But let’s see.”
Kareena Kapoor Khan has also called it a wrap on the Indian adaptation of Japanese author Higashino Keigo’s bestselling 2005 novel The Devotion of Suspect X by filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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