In the midst of hosting the eighth season of his talk show, ‘Koffee With Karan,’ Karan Johar has recently made headlines for sharing insights into his past dispute with Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan. The latest episode featuring the dynamic duo of Sara Ali Khan and Ananya Panday delves into their personal and professional revelations, but it’s KJo’s revelation about his rift with Bebo that’s creating a buzz online. While snippets about their reconciliation have circulated, the details of what transpired between Karan Johar and Kareena Kapoor Khan, leaving the filmmaker hurt, might still be unclear to many. Let’s unravel the story behind their disagreement – scroll down for the full scoop

The narrative rewinds to 2002 when Karan Johar disclosed details of his rift with Kareena Kapoor Khan, acknowledging almost a year of strained communication. Documented in his biography, ‘An Unsuitable Boy,’ KJo unveiled the genesis of the discord, tracing it back to his offer of Kal Ho Naa Ho to Bebo following the release of Mujhse Dosti Karoge! The actress, uncertain about the project, expressed scepticism, stating, ‘Aditya Chopra’s assistant, Kunal Kohli, has made this flop, so Karan Johar’s assistant, Nikhil Advani is not to be trusted either.’ 

The plot took a twist when Karan Johar extended the offer of Kal Ho Naa Ho to Kareena Kapoor Khan, who not only sought a substantial fee but insisted on a paycheck equivalent to Shah Rukh Khan’s earnings. In his book, KJo recounted, ‘My first problem was with Kareena. She asked for too much money, and we had some kind of a fallout at that time. The weekend of Mujhse Dosti Karoge’s release, I offered her Kal Ho Naa Ho, and she asked for the same money that Shah Rukh Khan was getting. I said, ‘Sorry’.”

At that juncture, King Khan was reportedly commanding a staggering Rs 20 crore, and Kareena, relatively new in the industry, requesting a similar fee left the filmmaker unsettled. Consequently, he exited the negotiation and cast Preity Zinta opposite SRK and Saif Ali Khan. Despite ongoing differences, their relationship took a transformative turn when Kareena Kapoor Khan, upon learning about Yash Johar’s health, reached out to KJo in August. Expressing her emotions, she conveyed, ‘I heard about Yash uncle. I love you, and I am so sorry I haven’t been in touch. Don’t worry.’

During a recent episode of Koffee With Karan, Johar disclosed that although their relationship hadn’t completely healed, Kareena called him promptly upon hearing about his father’s passing while she was in Bangkok.