Imtiaz Ali Reveals 'Jab We Met Happened Because Of Shahid Kapoor': 'I Was Meeting Him For Something Else'

Shahid Kapoor is currently enjoying Cocktail 2’s theatrical run, while Imtiaz Ali is celebrating the success of Main Vaapas Aaunga, starring Sharvari and Vedang Raina. While Shahid and Imtiaz are currently enjoying the success of two different films, the duo has also given Bollywood one of its most successful films, which has now attained cult status, Jab We Met.

Shahid Kapoor’s portrayal of Aditya Kashyap in Jab We Met, often hailed as a walking green flag, continues to be loved and celebrated even today. Interestingly, many may not know that Jab We Met happened because of Shahid Kapoor himself, as revealed by filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, who helmed the cult classic.

In a recent interaction with Times Now, Imtiaz recalled how the film came into existence

and shared that it all began during a meeting with Shahid for an entirely different project.

Jab We Met happened because of Shahid

He shared, “Jab We Met happened because of Shahid, honestly. I was meeting him for something else, and we were not making Jab We Met at that time. He asked me if I had a story where a girl and a boy meet each other on a train, so I said this is there andI was supposed to make it with Bobby Deol, but now that film is not happening. I was going to talk to you about some other film, which I told him, but he was like, ‘What is the story of that one?’ Then I narrated the story of Jab We Met to him, and he was very interested. He saw that I was also interested while I was telling him the story of Jab We Met. There was this thing in my eyes also that I’m interested. Then he said, ‘Why aren’t we making this? Can I not do this?’”

The filmmaker also credited Shahid’s confidence and belief in the project for pushing the film forward and ensuring it got the backing it deserved.

He added, “So it was through his confidence that this can be good and this film can be made, and we’ll tell the producer that we are doing this, but you must give us a good budget, you must give us a good release. All these things were there from his side, that you must say this. The film worked so well, and everybody is happy.”

About Jab We Met

Jab We Met is a 2007 romantic drama directed by Imtiaz Ali, starring Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan. The film follows the journey of Aditya and Geet, two strangers who meet on a train and change each other’s lives. It is now regarded as one of Bollywood’s most iconic cult classics.