Karan Johar and Kareena Kapoor Khan are known for their close bond in Bollywood, but their friendship once hit a rough patch that led to them not speaking for almost a year. This strained period stemmed from a disagreement over Kareena's remuneration for the film 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' in the early 2000s.

According to Karan Johar, the issue arose when he offered Kareena the lead role in 'Kal Ho Naa Ho'. However, Kareena reportedly asked for the same fee as Shah Rukh Khan, who was the male lead in the film. Johar didn't agree to this, which led to a fallout between them. In his autobiography, 'An Unsuitable Boy,' Johar revealed that this incident deeply hurt him. He stated that he told his father to leave the negotiation room and signed Preity Zinta for the role instead.

Johar mentioned in his biography that, following this disagreement, Kareena and he didn't speak for almost a year. He described the situation as "very idiotic," saying that they would avoid each other at parties. He also noted that Kareena was much younger than him at the time. Johar recounted Kareena's remarks about his assistant director, further fueling the disagreement, where she expressed reservations about his abilities after a film directed by another assistant director didn't perform well.

Despite the nearly year-long silence, the two mended their relationship. According to Johar, the turning point came when his father, Yash Johar, was diagnosed with cancer. Despite not having spoken for nine months, Kareena reached out to Karan to offer her support.

In an episode of 'Koffee With Karan', Johar shared that Kareena called him when his father was diagnosed with cancer. They hadn't spoken for a year and a half at that point. Johar recalled that Kareena said she didn't know what to say, and he responded by saying that she didn't need to say anything, as he knew she was there for him. When his father passed away, Kareena, who was in Bangkok, came to his house straight from the airport. They spent the entire night talking, which helped them restore their friendship.

The role in 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' eventually went to Preity Zinta, who received much acclaim for her performance. Over time, Johar and Kapoor rekindled their bond, solidifying their friendship.