Ameesha Patel, who is currently enjoying the success of “Gadar 2,” has shared some interesting insights about the Bollywood film industry’s past. She revealed that Kareena Kapoor was originally cast in the iconic movie “Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai“ alongside Hrithik Roshan, which would have marked her Bollywood debut.
However, Kareena was replaced by Ameesha Patel after shooting for a few days. There were conflicting reports about why Kareena left the project, with some suggesting her mother, Babita Kapoor, wasn’t satisfied with the film’s direction. On the other hand, Ameesha Patel claimed that Rakesh Roshan, the film’s director, asked Kareena to leave due to their differences.
Ameesha Patel clarified, “Actually, she didn’t back out. From what Rakesh ji told me, he asked her to leave the film because they had differences.”
This unexpected change in casting posed a significant challenge for the production team, as they had to find a replacement for Ameesha’s character, Sonia, within just three days, given that the film’s set was already prepared.
Ameesha revealed, “And Pinkie [Roshan] aunty, his wife, and Hrithik’s mom, said that they were shocked because the set was ready, and a replacement Sonia had to be found in three days, and crores of rupees had already been spent on that set. It was Hrithik’s debut, and everyone was stressed.“
Ameesha Patel went on to share that Rakesh Roshan spotted her at a wedding and decided to cast her as the replacement for Kareena. Interestingly, when offered the role in “Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai,” she did not know the behind-the-scenes drama.
Ameesha explained, “Pinky Aunty told me that the day Rakesh saw me at the wedding, he did not sleep all night. He said, ‘I got my Sonia, I got my Sonia, but I hope she says yes.’ Rakesh’s uncle always says, ‘This girl paid attention to everything I taught her on sets.’ He always praises me and says I was a blessing in disguise.”
