The cult film, Kal Ho Naa Ho, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta was one of the highest-grossing films in India in 2003. Written by Karan Johar and directed by Nikhil Advani, the film was a huge box-office success and is loved by many people till date. The character of 'Naina' played by Preity became everyone's favourite. However, not many know that Kareena Kapoor was Karan Johar's first choice but the actress rejected the offer.
When Preity Zinta graced the couch at Koffee With Karan, Karan Johar asked her how she felt stepping into Kareena Kapoor’s shoes in the film, Kal Ho Naa Ho. However, the statement did not go down well with Preity Zinta, as she had a problem being called the second choice for the film. But she maintained her grace and gave a beautiful response, she said:
“I don’t feel anything. I have a very simple logic. Suppose you go to a store and decide to try a pair of jeans. It fits you well, but you don’t buy them doesn’t mean they are your jeans. It belongs to the next person who comes, tries them on, and buys them.”
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Preity Zinta even belittled Kareena Kapoor’s choice of films and recalled that when KJo came to her with the script, she thought to herself why Kareena did not want to do the film. Soon after, reports were abuzz that Preity was not the first choice for the film. However, the actress took it positively and even thanked Kareena for declining the offer. She added:
“Once you offered me the script and I read them, I said, ‘Why does Kareena not want to do this film?’ And then it was all over the news that Kareena is the first choice, and Preity is the second choice. Even Kareena said, ‘I said no to that film.’ So I was like, Okay, Thank You, Kareena! It doesn’t matter. Any which ways this film was in my destiny.”
While Preity left Karan Johar's jaws dropped with her response, the latter turned to Saif Ali Khan and asked who would make a better 'Naina' in the film - Kareena or Preity. The actor, without an iota of doubt, mentioned that he could not imagine anyone else playing the role except Preity. In his words:
“Now that I have seen the film, I cannot imagine anyone else playing Naina except Preity.”
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In his book, An Unsuitable Boy, Karan Johar talked about his film, Kal Ho Naa Ho, and revealed that Kareena Kapoor Khan was his first choice as the female lead. Talking about the same, he shared that Kareena asked for a huge fee and demanded that she get equal money as Shah Rukh Khan. However, KJo denied her request because that time his company was not doing well. In the meantime, he called Kareena, but she didn’t answer. Following the incident, the duo didn’t talk to each other for nearly one year and even used to ignore each other at parties. However, later, when Karan's father, Yash Johar was sick and getting treatment for cancer in New York, Kareena called KJo, following which they started talking again.
Do you think Kareena Kapoor would have aced the role of 'Naina' better than Preity Zinta?
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