In an interview, Bhumika Chawla, who rose to fame after starring in Tere Naam, opened up about being replaced by Kareena Kapoor in Jab We Met.
Jab We Met, directed by Imtiaz Ali, went on to become a critical and commercial success. The film’s music and dialogues became immensely popular and are still remembered fondly by audiences today. Kareena Kapoor’s portrayal of the spunky and confident Geet earned her widespread acclaim and cemented her status as one of Bollywood’s leading ladies.
However, very few people know that not Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan, but Bobby Deol and Bhumika Chawal were the first choice for the lead characters.
Speaking of the same recently, Bhumika Chawla opened up on losing the Imtiaz Ali directorial to Kareena Kapoor Khan. It all happened during her interaction with YouTuber Siddharth Kanan, where she appeared to promote her recent release Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. The actress recalled getting a lot of big offers after starring opposite Salman Khan in Tere Naam, and one of them was Jab We Met.
Explaining the episode in detail, Bhumika asserted, “I got many offers. But I’ve always been selective and choosy about what I do. I had signed a big film after that, and unfortunately, the production changed, then the hero changed, and the film title changed. Then the heroine was changed too). But if I would have done that it would have been different (for me).”
She continued and added, “So they say, jo likha hai, woh hota hai. I waited for that film for one year and didn’t sign any other film. Later, I signed another film which didn’t happen too. Baki jo ki gayi woh shayad utni chali nahi ya chali, it’s just like a gamble, you don’t know when and which movie will work.”
The Run actress said, “Ek hi baar mujhe bura laga tha, jab maine Jab We Met sign ki aur nahi hui (That’s the only time I’ve felt bad about losing a film). I was the first one, Bobby (Deol) and me, when it was called Train. Then, it was Shahid (Kapoor) and me, and then Shahid and Ayesha (Takia), and then Shahid and Kareena (Kapoor). That’s how things happened, but it’s okay.”
She concluded by saying, “I only felt bad once and then never again because I just move on. I don’t think much about it. I had signed Munna Bhai MBBS but it didn’t happen. Kannathil Muthamittal with Mani (Ratnam) sir didn’t happen.”
However, Bhumika indeed had a fulfilling career in the South film industry with a bunch of big-budget projects in her repertoire. Talking about KKBKKJ, she played a supporting role. The Farhad Samji directorial was released on the occasion of Eid 2023, on April 21.
