Bobby Deol Says He Hustled to Make Jab We Met Happen—But Got Replaced Instead
Bobby Deol recently opened up in a chat with Instant Bollywood and shared a story that left many fans surprised. Turns out, the beloved romantic film Jab We Met—which we all know for Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor’s iconic pairing—might’ve looked very different if things had gone the way Bobby had planned.
EXCLUSIVE: Bobby Deol Says He Hustled to Make Jab We Met Happen—But Got Replaced Instead
He revealed that he was never officially offered the film, but he was the one who pushed to get it made in the first place.
“I wasn’t offered,” Bobby said. “Back then when Socha Na Tha was getting made, I saw its rush print. I caught Imtiaz and said, ‘Look, your film hasn’t released yet; it’s only halfway done. I’m working with you, so write the script.’ So, he started writing the script for me. I tried really hard to make that film (Jab We Met) happen; I reached out to a lot of people.”
Bobby didn’t just stop at the script. He went out of his way to bring people on board.
“I approached a producer, Ashtavinayak. Actually, he came to me wanting to make a film. I suggested he take Imtiaz, but he said, ‘No, not Imtiaz. We want to go with another director.’ At that time, Imtiaz and I were really good friends, we still are, but we were super close back then.”
Casting the lead actress was also something Bobby tried to help with.
“Then he said he wanted Kareena Kapoor, so I arranged a meeting with Kareena through someone. But she also turned it down. After that, I talked to Preity Zinta, and she said she wasn’t interested at that moment. She said— I can’t do it now, I’ll do it later.”
After all that effort, Bobby was still dropped from the project when it finally began taking shape.
“And the industry is such that the producer to whom I had suggested that he take Imtiaz, ended up taking him. Meanwhile, they kicked me out and got Kareena and Shahid instead. That’s how it happens.”
It was obviously a tough moment for Bobby, but he looks back at it with acceptance now.
“What happened happened, and Imtiaz made that film. It can be tough in the industry; I was really upset about it at the time. But Imtiaz also had his struggles; he was just starting his career and didn’t have many choices. That sort of thing happens a lot in this business. It’s so heartbreaking, but it wasn’t meant to be, or it just never clicked.”
Crazy to think about how close Bobby Deol was to being part of one of Bollywood’s most iconic love stories. Just goes to show how unpredictable the film industry really is.
(EXCLUSIVE: Bobby Deol Says He Got Animal Because Sandeep Reddy Vanga Liked His ‘Struggling’ Photo!)
