Imtiaz Ali reveals he originally wrote Jab We Met script to entertain himself

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has revealed that he originally wrote the script for his hit film 'Jab We Met' solely to entertain himself, never believing it was a good enough story to be made into a movie. Speaking during a visit to the PTI headquarters in Delhi, the director shared behind-the-scenes insights into the creative origins of the 2007 romantic comedy.

According to Ali, the script was written during periods of inactivity while he was shooting his debut film, 'Socha Na Tha', which starred Ayesha Takia and Abhay Deol. Because he wrote 'Jab We Met' purely for his own amusement, he referred to the screenplay as his 'personal toy' and admitted he was initially too embarrassed to narrate it to anyone else.

Once Ali began pitching the script, it faced significant resistance. The director revealed that 'Jab We Met' was rejected by more producers and actors than any of his other films. Industry professionals frequently questioned the project, asking what the movie was trying to achieve, pointing out a lack of conflict, and calling the events in the film 'quite silly.' Others questioned why audiences would accept the character of Aditya, played by Shahid Kapoor, at the end of the film.

Ali recalled that actor Preity Zinta was the first person to believe in the story. During a narration, Zinta burst out laughing when Aditya runs away from Geet at the railway station. While Ali initially worried she was laughing at him, Zinta assured him she loved the script.

Although Zinta was interested, delays in the film's production prevented her from being cast. Ali eventually returned to his original choice, Kareena Kapoor, who starred in the film alongside Shahid Kapoor. Even during the shoot in Punjab, Ali said he continued to be plagued by self-doubt, unsure if the next day's shoot would actually happen.

Despite the early rejections and production anxieties, the film went on to become a major hit, remembered for its music, dialogue, and story.