Jab We Met - Production

Production

Pre-production work on the film began in early 2007 when Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd announced that director Imtiaz Ali would be directing the then real life couple Shahid and Kareena Kapoor in their first "full-fledged romantic drama". When Ali began casting for the film, Kareena Kapoor was the director's first choice to portray the role of Geet Dhillon whilst Shahid Kapoor was cast to play the role of Aditya Kashyap, after Ali met him and discovered the actor was more than a poster boy. On the two lead actors, Ali commented, "I wanted a girl who could look natural in scenes where she misses the train. She had to be without make-up, someone who could be hyper, talkative and interesting but not irritating. I was never a fan of her and hadn't seen too many of her flicks, but I just knew Kareena was perfect as Geet, When I met him, I realised he wasn't the forgettable actor that he comes across in several of his movies. He has gone through a lot in life and that maturity had never been brought out. He was perfect for the role of a young, mature, quiet guy."

The cast commenced shooting from 20 March 2007 onwards in Chandigarh, Punjab and later headed to film in places like Shimla and Manali, Himachal Pradesh, where the crew filmed a song on the Himalayas and the Rohtang Pass. While shooting the last schedule of the film in Mumbai, sources had indicated that the lead pair had broken up. Though the media projected it as a publicity stunt for the film, it was later confirmed that the couple had indeed broken up. The title of the film was decided by a popular vote; moviegoers had a choice between Punjab Mail, Ishq Via Bhatinda and Jab We Met.

To promote the film, the actors appeared separately on different television shows. Kareena Kapoor appeared as guest judge on the singing talent contest Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007 whilst Shahid Kapoor appeared on Amul STAR Voice of India and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa respectively; they later appeared together on the television show Nach Baliye. Apart from this, the producers also painted two full local trains in Mumbai from the Western and Central lines with Jab We Met imagery, where Shahid Kapoor chatted up with fellow passengers and informed them about the movie. On the night of 23 October 2007, a special preview of the film was organized at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai for those associated with the film and their families.