Jab We Met isn’t just a film, it’s a cultural moment. The movie gave us everything – iconic dialogues, soul-searching train journeys, and music that makes us cry. It’s the kind of movie you turn to on a bad day because it feels like home. And we can’t forget that it gave us one of the most iconic on-screen duos, Geet and Aditya. But did you know that Shahid Kapoor was never meant to be a part of the Jab We Met cast?

Who was supposed to play Aditya in Jab We Met?

You might be shocked to learn that Shahid Kapoor was roped in for Jab We Met quite late. The character was specifically written for Bobby Deol. In a recent interview with Instant Bollywood, Bobby Deol shared how he nudged Imtiaz Ali to build the whole concept of the film. He shared that after attending a screening of Socha Na Tha, directed by Imtiaz Ali, Deol was so impressed with his work and talent that he encouraged him to write a script especially for him. And this script evolved into the movie Jab We Met. Bobby convinced the production company Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision because they weren’t sure about backing a newbie like Imtiaz. “I invested a lot of effort into getting that film made — I contacted numerous people,” Bobby shared.

In fact, Bobby Deol was the one who approached Kareena Kapoor for the role. However, she declined his offer. Despite all his efforts and hard work, Bobby was eventually replaced by Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor also accepted the offer. This replacement has been a rather saddening one for Bobby as he shared, “It hurt a lot; I was quite disappointed back then.”

Why was Bobby Deol replaced?

While Bobby Deol believes it’s a tough decision Imtiaz might have had to make in favour of the film’s vision, an old interview of Imtiaz Ali with Lallantop has resurfaced. Here, Imtiaz talked about Jab We Met and revealed why he went ahead with Shahid to make the movie. He revealed that while Jab We Met was taking shape, Bobby Deol was flooded with bigger projects. And it’s due to these bigger projects that he kept postponing Jab We Met. As time went on, Imtiaz began to feel something was off.

Related: Why Aunty Eve’s Favourite Actor Ever Is Lord Bobby Deol

Previously, Imtiaz Ali spent five years working on one film, and then the delay of Jab We Met kept him away from active work. And he soon began to feel a financial and personal strain. “I wasn’t doing anything substantial during that time, and in life, you reach a point where you want to move forward,” Imtiaz said. He eventually told Bobby Deol that they can’t do this project together because it feels like they aren’t aligned anymore.

But with whispers of Jab We Met 2 on social media, could Bobby Deol be a part of the Jab We Met cast this time? Only time will tell!

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Related: Bollywood Wants Us To Believe That Geet And Aditya Would Work. Here’s Why They Wouldn’t