Kareena Kapoor responsible for Bobby Deol's removal from 'Jab We Met'? Imtiaz Ali has THIS to say

Jab We Met faced intriguing casting controversies before its success. Originally planned with Bobby Deol, delays and scheduling conflicts led director Imtiaz Ali to replace him with Shahid Kapoor, while Kareena Kapoor's involvement also played a pivotal role in reshaping the film

In a 2023 interview with Lallantop, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali revealed that Bobby Deol was originally supposed to play the lead in Jab We Met. Imtiaz shared that he waited for Bobby for two years to begin the project after finishing his previous film, Socha Na Tha. Despite their friendship, Bobby’s packed schedule and commitments to other directors led to repeated delays. Eventually, Imtiaz decided to part ways amicably, explaining that the prolonged wait was causing financial strain on him, especially since Socha Na Tha had already taken five years to complete

Imtiaz clarified that while he wanted to work with Bobby, the constant postponements of Jab We Met forced him to reconsider. After waiting for two additional years without any progress, Imtiaz felt the delays could negatively impact their working relationship. As a result, he informed Bobby that it would be better for them to mutually part ways from the project

In a 2017 interview with HuffPost India, Bobby Deol claimed that the project was initially his idea. He had suggested to Shri Ashtavinayak Studios that they sign Imtiaz Ali, as he knew Imtiaz had a ready script. Bobby also proposed Kareena Kapoor for the lead role. However, he later learned that the studio had moved ahead without him, finalizing Imtiaz as the director and Kareena as the lead, with Shahid Kapoor cast as the male protagonist. Bobby expressed surprise at how the industry works but maintained that he harbored no hard feelings toward Imtiaz, praising him as a talented filmmaker

Bobby alleged that Kareena Kapoor initially hesitated to meet Imtiaz but eventually agreed to do the film, although she needed six months before starting it. According to Bobby, Kareena’s then-boyfriend, Shahid Kapoor, was later brought on board as the male lead, effectively sidelining him. While Bobby expressed disappointment, he remarked that he remains on good terms with Imtiaz and humorously tells the director that his best film will be the one they create together in the future