Imtiaz Ali never thought 'Jab We Met' would be a film worth making. He wrote the story merely for his own entertainment, considering it a personal toy. But the 2007 romantic comedy proved him wrong, becoming a cult classic despite initial rejections from producers and actors.
The Journey of a Reluctant Script
Ali, then a struggling director, completed his debut 'Socha Na Tha' with difficulty. During its shooting, he wrote 'Jab We Met' in periods of inactivity. Even while filming in Punjab, self-doubt plagued him. 'I wasn't very proud of this story. I wrote it just to entertain myself. I never thought it was good enough to be made,' Ali told PTI.
After writing, he felt too embarrassed to narrate it. When he did, it faced more rejections than any of his other films. Producers and actors questioned the script's purpose, lack of conflict, and silliness. 'What is this movie about? What is it achieving? There is no conflict. It's quite silly,' Ali recalled the feedback.
Preity Zinta: The First Believer
The first person to appreciate the script was Preity Zinta. When Ali narrated it to her, she burst out laughing at a scene where Shahid Kapoor's character Aditya runs away from Kareena Kapoor's Geet at a railway station. Ali initially thought she was laughing at him, but she exclaimed, 'This is really fun!' and asked what happened next. 'I thought, man, there's someone who actually likes this,' Ali said. However, due to production delays, Zinta couldn't be cast, and Ali returned to his original choice, Kareena Kapoor.
Writing Dialogues in a Snowstorm
The film's memorable dialogues, including 'Main apni favourite hoon' and 'Tumhe uthakar museum mein rakhna chahiye', were written in a single night and day. Ali was trapped in a Manali hotel room during heavy snowfall while on a location scout. With only 21 days before production, he wrote continuously without revision. 'I didn't look back to see if it was right or wrong. I just kept writing,' he said.
Kareena Kapoor: A Director's Delight
Ali credits Kareena's instinctive acting for making Geet iconic. 'She's a very instinctive actor. She is a director's delight. She has no process. Whatever one tells her to do, she does it quickly and with full force,' he said. Ali had to find ways to restrain her and avoid miscommunication, as she would execute even a wrong direction with such vigour that correcting it would be difficult.
Asked about casting Kareena again, Ali expressed eagerness: 'I would love to cast Kareena again in a film. Hopefully, something that is very different from Geet, equally effervescent and vivacious.'
'Jab We Met' remains a beloved film, remembered for its sparkling one-liners, music, and the story of two opposites who find love. Despite its rocky start, it cemented Ali's place as a storyteller and gave audiences a timeless romance.
