The internet has opinions every time a Jane Austen adaptation is announced and the newly released trailer for ‘Sense and Sensibility’ is no exception.

Directed by Georgia Oakley and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, the upcoming film has generated plenty of excitement. But alongside the praise, many fans have also been asking whether any new adaptation will live up to the classics.

For Indian audiences, though, there's another answer altogether.

Long before Hollywood decided to revisit ‘Sense and Sensibility,’ Tamil cinema had already given the novel a fresh identity with Rajiv Menon's ‘Kandukondain Kandukondain.’ Released in 2000, the film transformed it into something completely at home in India.

Same story, completely different world

‘Sense and Sensibility’ is about two sisters who deal with love in very different ways. One is practical, the other hopelessly romantic.

That dynamic remains intact in ‘Kandukondain Kandukondain,’ where Tabu's composed Sowmya and Aishwarya Rai's spirited Meenakshi become the emotional centre of the film.

Instead of English estates and aristocratic families, the story unfolds against the backdrop of ancestral property disputes, family expectations and the realities of marriage in an Indian household. The changes are what make the adaptation work.

One of Tamil cinema's most stacked casts

Looking back today, it's hard to believe how many stars shared the screen.

Tabu anchors the film with one of the strongest performances of her career, while Aishwarya Rai perfectly shows the excitement and impulsiveness of first love.

Mammootty brings authority to Major Bala, Ajith Kumar is charming as Manohar, and Abbas plays the young man whose choices alter the sisters' lives.

Even if someone hasn't watched Kandukondain Kandukondain, chances are they've heard its songs.

A.R. Rahman's soundtrack gave Tamil cinema classics like Enna Solla Pogirai, Konjum Mainakkale, Kannamoochi Yenada and the title track. More than 25 years later, they're still part of playlists, concerts and nostalgia reels.

Add Ravi K. Chandran's gorgeous cinematography, and it's easy to see why the film continues to age so well.

Meanwhile, a new ‘Sense and Sensibility’ is on the way

Georgia Oakley's adaptation stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood and Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne, alongside George MacKay, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, Caitríona Balfe and Fiona Shaw.

Written by bestselling novelist Diana Reid, the film releases in UK cinemas on September 25 before arriving in US theatres on October 16. The trailer promises sweeping period visuals and faithful storytelling, though whether it will become a fan favourite remains to be seen.

A reminder that great adaptations don't have to look alike

The success of ‘Kandukondain Kandukondain’ lies in the fact that it never tried to be an English period drama in another language. Rajiv Menon took the heart of Austen's novel and rebuilt it around Indian families, relationships and traditions.

With a new ‘Sense and Sensibility’ about to introduce Austen's story to another generation, it's the perfect excuse to revisit the adaptation that proved great stories don't need to stay in the country where they were written to feel universal.