As Bobby Deol gears up to lead Anurag Kashyap’s highly anticipated thriller Bandar, set to hit theatres on June 5, 2026, the actor recalls a deeply emotional phase from his past.
The ‘Jab We Met’ Heartbreak
During an appearance on Aap Ki Adalat, Bobby recalled how he lost out on Jab We Met; a film he had passionately tried to bring to life. What made it more painful was discovering that the same production house he approached eventually made the film with director Imtiaz Ali and actress Kareena Kapoor, but replaced him with Shahid Kapoor.
Despite the setback, Bobby shared that the experience ultimately made him stronger rather than breaking his spirit.
Bobby’s Early Faith in Imtiaz Ali
Long before Jab We Met became a cult romantic hit, Bobby was among the first to recognize Imtiaz Ali’s talent. After watching the rough cut of Socha Na Tha (2005), he was deeply impressed and eager to collaborate.
He even took the initiative to bring both Imtiaz and Kareena Kapoor on board and actively pitched the project to multiple production houses, convinced of its potential.
"That story is done now. We're friends. My heart got broken because I needed a film like this during that phase of my career," Bobby said on Aap Ki Adalat.
"I had great confidence in Imtiaz since the time when he was making Socha Na Tha with Abhay. When I watched the rough cut, I was so taken in and excited by his work. I thought he's such a good director, I should work with him."
Project Delays and Missed Opportunity
However, things didn’t go as planned. Bobby explained that delays in getting the project off the ground and his fluctuating market position made it difficult to secure backing.
"That's when we first decided we'd make a film together. But when your market position isn't good, nobody backs you. So much time passed trying to get the film started. The production house I pitched it to said Imtiaz is a very expensive director. But the same production house ended up making the film with Imtiaz, and with the same heroine I'd gotten on board," Bobby recalled.
Imtiaz Ali Shares His Perspective
Imtiaz Ali, in a 2023 interview with The Lallantop, offered a different take on the situation. He suggested that the project was delayed because Bobby was prioritizing other opportunities.
"Socha Na Tha got over, but I still didn't make the film for two years because I wanted Bobby to start it. But he was getting other offers from big directors, so he was waiting for that to happen. He kept postponing my film, but then a time came when I didn't find it correct because a lot of time went by," Imtiaz said.
"Because I did Socha Na Tha for five years and I didn't do a film for two years after that, so it was putting financial strain on me. Then I told Bobby, 'Let's not make this film. Let's shake our hands and decide we will not do this film together because then our thing will be affected.'"
A Remarkable Comeback Story
Despite the disappointment, Bobby Deol went on to stage one of Bollywood’s most remarkable comebacks. He regained popularity with Prakash Jha’s Aashram on Amazon MXPlayer, followed by a powerful performance in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal (2023). Most recently, he appeared in Aryan Khan’s Netflix India directorial debut The Ba**ds of Bollywood*.
[With TOI inputs]
