"I was like, ‘Wow, quite an industry.'"
Bollywood actor Bobby Deol has revealed that Kareena Kapoor helped her then-boyfriend Shahid Kapoor get the lead role in the 2007 film, Jab We Met, a role he was originally supposed to play.
Helmed by director Imtiaz Ali, Jab We Met (2007) was a great hit with audiences and continues to be watched many years later.
According to a tell-all interview with HuffPost, Bobby Deol opened up his Bollywood journey.
The actor disclosed how he enjoyed watching Imtiaz Ali’s Socha Na Tha (2005) which prompted him to want to work with the established director.
Bobby revealed that he wanted to work with Imtiaz on his next project at that time titled Geet which was later renamed to Jab We Met (2007). He said:
“I was also to do Jab We Met (2007). Back then, it was titled Geet. I had seen Socha Na Tha (2005) and instantly reached out to Imtiaz saying he’s an incredible storyteller with a terrific future.
“I told him that I wanted to work with him and he had the script of [what is now] Jab We Met (2007) ready. He was looking for financers.
“There was also a studio called Shri Ashtavinayak who wanted to sign me. I told them that let’s sign Imtiaz. He has a script ready.
“And let’s talk to Kareena Kapoor. The producers were like, ‘Oh no, that guy will make an expensive film.’
“Kareena, on the other hand, didn’t even want to meet Imtiaz. I took them to Preity [Zinta]. She agreed but said she can do it only after six months. So, we were stuck.”
Bobby Deol continued to reveal his surprise when he found out Kareena had signed to the film. She also convinced Imtiaz to hire her then-boyfriend Shahid Kapoor. He said:
“Days passed and suddenly, I read that Ashtavinayak has signed Imtiaz for Jab We Met (2007) and Kareena is doing the film!”
“And she had gotten her them-boyfriend, Shahid Kapoor, to act opposite her. I was like, ‘Wow, quite an industry.’
Despite this, Bobby went on to state that he is still friends with Imtiaz Ali. He explained:
“He is a great director and doing so well. We’re still friends. But I always tell him, ‘Imtiaz, I won’t watch any of your films until you make one with me. That’ll be your best film.”
Previously, Bobby Deol worked alongside Kareena Kapoor in the 2001 film, Ajnabee.
In 2017, the actor made his Bollywood comeback with Shreyas Talpade’s directorial debut Poster Boys.
Bobby opened up about the resurrection of his career as he credited fellow actor Salman Khan for offering him a role in Race 3 (2018).
Bobby is also set to star in a Netflix original film, Class of ’83 which will be produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.
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