When Preity Zinta Reacted To Being Second Choice For Kal Ho Naa Ho After Kareena Kapoor: "The Film Was In My Destiny"

The film also led to a cold war between Karan Johar and Kareena Kapoor until they reunited in Kurbaan

03 May 2026, 10:41 · NDTV

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Preity Zinta replaced Kareena Kapoor Khan in the film Kal Ho Naa Ho
Kareena was the first choice, but demanded the same remuneration as Shah Rukh Khan
Saif Ali Khan praised Preity as the perfect choice for the role of Naina

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Preity Zinta once reacted to Kareena Kapoor Khan constantly talking about losing Kal Ho Naa Ho to her. An old video from Karan Johar's chat show Koffee With Karan has resurfaced online, and it shows Karan trying to draw a reaction from Preity to Kareena's statement.

Karan produced Kal Ho Naa Ho and had earlier offered the film to Kareena. However, she reportedly demanded the same remuneration as Shah Rukh Khan when she was being considered for the film.

Karan asked Preity on the show, "Kareena was the first choice for the film, so how did you feel actually, you know, stepping into Kareena Kapoor's shoes for the film?"

Responding to this, the actress said, "I mean, you go to a store, you try on a pair of jeans, and they fit you well. But if you don't buy them, it doesn't mean they're your jeans. The next person who comes, tries them on, and buys them - they belong to that person."

She further mentioned, "I remember when you called me, and I said, 'Okay, can I hear the script?' Once I heard the script, I was like, 'Why doesn't Kareena want to do this film?' And then it was all over the place - Kareena was the first choice, Preity Zinta was the second choice. And Kareena was saying that, 'I said no to it'. So I said, 'Okay, thank you, Kareena. It doesn't matter - any which way, this film was in my destiny.'"

Karan then asked Saif Ali Khan, who was sitting next to Preity and is now married to Kareena, "And did you think Kareena or her would have been - who would have been the better Naina?"

Saif said, "I mean, now that I've seen the film, I can't imagine anyone else except Preity leading that part."

The film also led to a cold war between Karan and Kareena until they reunited in Kurbaan, which also starred Saif Ali Khan.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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