This actress demanded same fees as Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar replaced her, film became blockbuster, earned Rs...

The 2003 romantic comedy drama Kal Ho Naa Ho starred Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Saif Ali Khan in the leading roles. Written and produced by Karan Johar and helmed by Nikkhil Advani in his directorial debut, the heartbreaking love triangle has become a cult classic over the years. 

While Shah Rukh and Saif were the first choices to play Aman Mathur and Rohit Patel in the film, Karan wanted Kareena Kapoor to play Naina Catherine Kapur. The Udta Punjab actress asked for same fees as Shah Rukh Khan for the film. Karan was so shocked to hear her demands that he refused to work with her and even didn't talk to her for around 18 months, until his father Yash Johar passed away in 2004.

When Karan replaced Kareena

The Ae Dil Hai Mushkil director talked about the incident in his autobiography An Unsuitable Boy as he wrote, "The weekend of Mujhse Dosti Karoge's release, I offered Kareena Kal Ho Naa Ho, and she asked for the same money that Shah Rukh Khan was getting. I said, ‘Sorry'. I was very hurt. I told my father, 'Leave that negotiation room' and I called her. She didn’t take my call, and I said, 'We're not taking her.' And we signed Preity Zinta instead."

How Karan and Kareena reunited

In Koffee With Karan 8, Karan revealed how he and Kareena reunited after his father Yash Johar's death as he stated, "We didn’t speak for a year and half. It was only when my father was diagnosed with cancer that actually she called me, she was silent, and I was silent. She was like I don’t know what to say, I said, don’t say anything, I know you are there. When he passed away, she was in Bangkok, we still had not mended, the point she landed from her shoot, she came home. We spent all night just chatting. We went back to where we were. When we had fought, I said I am never going to speak with her again."

Kal Ho Naa Ho at the box office

Made in Rs 30 crore, Kal Ho Naa Ho earned Rs 85 crore at the global box office and became the highest-grossing film of the year. The film also won two National Film Awards for Best Music Direction to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Best Male Playback Singer award to Sonu Nigam for the title track Kal Ho Naa Ho. The film's other songs such as Maahi Ve, It's the Time to Disco, and Pretty Woman also became chartbusters.