When Kareena Kapoor said, 'Will never work with Sanjay Bhansali, he screen-tested me for Devdas & took someone else'

Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali go a long way, albeit without working with each other. They were supposed to collaborate for Devdas (2002) and Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram Leela (2013), but things didn’t fall into place both the times.

The actress recently made an appearance on Koffee With Karan 8 and said she still had a chance to work with the filmmaker, and Karan Johar couldn’t stop smiling.

What happened?

Back in 2002, Kareena revealed she would never work with Bhansali while speaking to Filmfare. She said, “He screen-tested me for Devdas, gave me a signing amount, then took someone else. That was wrong, it hurt especially because I was at the start of my career. It’s okay, because the day he dropped me, I signed Yaadein. Sanjay hurt me. Even if I have no work, I’ll never work with him..”

Bhansali and his side of the story

While speaking to the same magazine, Bhansali revealed, “She came to my house with Neeta Lulla and said she wanted to work with me… I told her that I hadn’t seen her work and that before casting her, I needed to see what she was capable of. We fixed up a photo-shoot with the right costumes. Since Babitaji and Karisma Kapoor were also at the shoot, I made it clear to all of them that the shoot wasn’t a confirmation that I would cast Kareena. They were okay with that at the time. After going through the photographs, I told Kareena that I felt Aishwarya Rai was fabulous and perfect for Paro; she has the aristocratic looks I required. Kareena didn’t say a word then but some days later I found her lashing out at me in print.”

The filmmaker added, “She accused me of backing out after having given her the signing amount and contract. Believe me, this is not true. She also said I didn’t know how to make films. Kareena is a fabulous girl who’s doing very well in life. However, I’d like to inform her that I do know how to make films. She has tried to tell me that she was misquoted but I’d like her to know that I’ve heard those tapes.”