Bobby Deol recently shared his emotional experience of being dropped from the film Jab We Met, a project he was deeply involved with in its initial stages. In a conversation with Instant Bollywood, Bobby revealed that he was the one who recognized Imtiaz Ali's talent and brought him on board for the film. He had seen the rushes of Socha Na Tha, which starred his cousin Abhay Deol, and was impressed by Imtiaz's storytelling. Bobby then approached Imtiaz and asked him to write a script, which eventually became Jab We Met.
Bobby took significant steps to get the film off the ground. He convinced Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision, a production house, to support the film, even when they were hesitant due to Imtiaz being a relatively new director. Bobby also approached Kareena Kapoor to play the female lead, but she initially declined. Preity Zinta was also considered but wasn't interested at the time. Eventually, Kareena agreed to do the film, but by then, Bobby was no longer part of the project, and Shahid Kapoor was cast as the male lead.
The actor admitted that he was heartbroken and upset at the time. Despite feeling betrayed, Bobby holds no grudges against Imtiaz Ali and understands the difficult decisions that had to be made for the film's success. He acknowledged the challenges of the film industry and Imtiaz's early struggles. "It can be tough in the industry; I was really upset about it at the time,” Bobby said.
Imtiaz Ali also addressed the situation, explaining that the decision to remove Bobby from the film was due to a feeling that things weren't working out as planned. He mentioned that Bobby was getting offers from bigger directors and kept postponing Jab We Met. Imtiaz felt that it was not right to continue working together under those circumstances and decided to part ways. He also stated that a lot of time had passed, and he wanted to step up financially, which influenced his decision.
In an interview with The Lallantop, Imtiaz said, “We planned to make Jab We Met with Bobby Deol. We commenced the movie, but Bobby was getting offers from big directors. So he kept waiting and said, 'We will do after this, we will do after that.' There came a time when I felt, 'Yeh theek nahi lag raha' (This doesn't seem right)".
Despite the setback, Bobby has maintained a friendly relationship with Imtiaz. He jokingly said, “Imtiaz, I won't watch any of your films until you make one with me. That'll be your best film". Imtiaz continues to praise Bobby and insists the decision was based purely on logistics, not favoritism.
Jab We Met went on to become a massive hit, solidifying Imtiaz Ali's reputation and elevating the careers of Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan. The film is now considered a modern classic.
