When you have a solid screenplay to rely on, it is half the battle won for everyone involved. Then, all you need to do is cast the right actors. In 'Jaane Jaan's case, both these demands were met by writer and filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh ably. The Netflix thriller marks the digital debut of Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor, and the artiste was able to keep pace with not just the flow of the story but also with her talented co-stars, Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

'Jaane Jaan' opens with a decidedly dark 'dream' of Jaideep Ahlawat. As soon as the film begins, you see a short disclaimer on the top left of the screen, which indicates that the feature consists of drug usage, suicide and domestic violence. That warning, coupled with Jaideep's character's nightmare, immediately gives you a broad picture of what you are getting into. After all, this is a Sujoy Ghosh movie.

For the unversed, 'Jaane Jaan' is an official adaptation of the best-selling Japanese novel 'The Devotion of Suspect X' by Keigo Higashino. An acclaimed book has been adapted multiple times in various languages, resulting in a South Korean, Chinese, Japanese and even a Tamil film ('Kolaigaran').

The Kareena-starrer is the fifth official retelling of the same narrative. Now, the question remains -- how many times can you tell the same story without it getting boring or familiar?

Kareena plays Maya/Sonia D'souza, who has been running from her dark past for over a decade until it finally catches up with her in the form of Saurabh Sachdeva's character. Vijay Varma is the skilled Inspector Karan Anand, assigned a 'missing person' case, while Jaideep's Naren or 'Teacher' is the quiet but mysterious neighbour of Kareena's Maya.

Somehow, they all end up in West Bengal's Kalimpong. All their fates collide there, resulting in a (mostly) well-woven murder mystery. But this is not a whodunnit, just in case you were wondering. After maybe 15-20 minutes into the movie, you are sure who the culprit is, but how that 'culprit' evades the authorities forms the film's crux.

'Jaane Jaan' sees a fresh side of Vijay, the actor, who, of course, has more than a few tricks up his sleeve, as he easily portrays the cocky but charming Karan. Jaideep is quietly unassuming as the humble and awkward teacher, with a passion for Mathematics. Kareena is well-cast as the good-looking, graceful Sonia who can be both strong and vulnerable. And when this gifted bunch share screen space with each other, 'Jaane Jaan' sings like Kareena's Maya at the karaoke bar -- with confidence and charisma.

The cinematography by Avik Mukhopadhyay is nearly perfect. The film's colour palette is such that the final product looks suspenseful and lovely in equal parts, highlighting the beauty and mystery of Kalimpong, lending it its own character. The background score by Shor Police and the music by Sachin-Jigar complement what is happening on screen. My chief complaint lies with the editing. 'Jaane Jaan' run-time could have been cut short by at least 15-20 minutes to keep things moving. Maybe next time.

3.5 stars out of 5 for 'Jaane Jaan'.