Not Shahid Kapoor: This Actor Was Imtiaz Ali’s Original Choice For Jab We Met, You’ll Be Surprised To Know

The adored 2007 romantic comedy Jab We Met is practically unimaginable without the earnest, quiet intensity of Shahid Kapoor as Aditya Kashyap. But even before Shahid and Kareena Kapoor Khan forged a path of impossible jinxes, Imtiaz Ali, the director, had a different man in mind for the role-the actor Bobby Deol.

The film, initially named Geet and later Train, came from an aborted collaboration that became one of the most famous ‘What-ifs’ in the industry.

Conceptualization and Initial Alliance

Thus, events unfolded in the course of making the film starting from Imtiaz Ali’s directorial debut, Socha Na Tha (2005). Swayed by Ali’s work, Bobby Deol took the idea of working together. The director was already very much committed to making the film with Deol, having already written the script.

The very first association seemed solid, with Deol being quite actively involved in every aspect; he suggested Kareena Kapoor for the female lead (a role presented to her by the time she accepted it, she’d already declined). The thought was of a more matured character, one that suited at the time-a lot-Deol’s personality and experiences.

Imtiaz Ali Unexpected Recasting

Ultimately, the two evils that affected Deol were Financing and Delays. Imtiaz Ali waited for a longer period, about two years, especially to fit Bobby Deol’s schedule. As Ali was under intense financial pressure and under need to start the project, it was hard, but he had to make that decision to move on.

The production house of the movie also changed hands due to this delay; at last, New setup brings Shahid Kapoor on board as the heartbroken, mute industrialist, in a green light. Deol had put in a lot of effort at the project’s inception, so the recasting of his character left him very disappointed. Indeed painful, this switch turned out to be lucky when it came to the final product, leaving us with the classic film that we know today.

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