I went and cried in front of Aamir Khan: Rani Mukerji

Mumbai: Actress Rani Mukerji, who recently won the IIFA award for Best Actress for her performance in ‘Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway,’ once felt hurt by Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar for not offering her the lead role in ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho.’

An old video from Johar’s talk show ‘Koffee With Karan’ captures a conversation between Johar, Mukerji, and Kareena Kapoor Khan about the movie and how it affected their personal relationships.

“To be honest, when I first got to know about it, I didn’t get to know it from you. So that is what hurt me,” Mukerji said. “Like, I’m so close to you... I feel that even if you make a film, you can always discuss it with me, whether you’re taking me, whether you’re taking somebody else, because I share that comfort level with you.”

She added, “But then when you didn’t come to me and talk to me about it, and I heard it from somebody else, I was like, why didn’t Karan come and take me? Because, you know, you and me don’t have that relationship. Where I might feel bad or, you know, like, my friendship with you level. I remember I did go and cry in front of Aamir Khan.”

The role ultimately went to Preity Zinta, who became a star with her performance in the film.

‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ also featured Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Jaya Bachchan in lead roles, with Sushma Seth, Reema Lagoo, Lillete Dubey, and Delnaaz Irani in supporting roles. The story follows Naina (played by Zinta) and Aman Mathur (played by Khan), whose love is tested when a secret prevents him from pursuing his feelings, leading him to set up Naina with her best friend, Rohit Patel (played by Saif).

The film became a major box office success. IANS