August 5th marks Genelia Deshmukh’s birthday, and it seems the befitting time to recall one of the trivia from her career-defining movie Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. It’s been more than 16 years since this movie was released, but it remains fresh in the minds of viewers. But do you know Genelia had a tough competitor to bag the female lead part?
While speaking to Hindustan Times, Genelia had once revealed that there was another girl shortlisted for the iconic character of Aditi to get cast opposite Imran Khan as Jai Singh Rathore. Mrs Deshmukh said, “It was really cool as we were going to shoot the final screen test to see how it looked. I remember Imran telling me that he was more comfortable with the other girl than with me.”
The 37-year-old reveals that things changed when Imran saw their look test together and felt Genelia was the one. “It looked like we were best pals forever,” Genelia opined. Thank god for the same that today we could see lovers like Genelia and Imran on-screen.
Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na was released in 2008 and became a cult rom-com classic in no time. This coming-of-age drama was written and directed by Abbas Tyrewala and was a wholesome blend of friendship, heartbreak, college life, and romance. The movie also changed the fortune of all the cast and crew involved, including Genelia.
Deshmukh, who entered the industry as Genelia D’Souza post-JTYJN, went on to star in several successful films across Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil languages. On the personal front, Genelia tied the knot with co-star Riteish Deshmukh on February 3, 2012, following Marathi marriage traditions in a Hindu wedding ceremony. The couple also had a Christian wedding in the church on the next day.
For the unversed, both Genelia and Riteish made their debuts together with K. Vijaya Bhaskar’s 2003 romantic drama Tujhe Meri Kasam. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Riaan, on November 25, 2014. Their second son, Rahyl, was born on June 1, 2016. The couple was last seen together in 2022’s Ved, which was both commercial and critical success.
