‘Rekha’s exit from my film was sad’

Katrina Kaif (left) says that even though it was nice working with veteran actor Rekha (right) for Abhishek Kapoor’s next, she was sad when she walked out of the film.

Rekha was replaced by Tabu in Abhishek Kapoor-directed romantic-drama, which stars Aditya Roy Kapoor in the lead. “It (working with Rekha) was nice. But then she and the producers decided to part ways for reasons best known to them. It was very sad. I have known Rekha ji for a long time and we have our own independent equation together. That was the only sad thing. Every film has its destiny and you have to respect that,” Kaif says.

The film, which is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic, Great Expectations, will have Tabu play the role of Miss Havisham as Begum, which was to be essayed by Rekha originally. The 32-yearold star will be seen alongside Kapoor for the first time, but Kat says that the duo recently got to know that they had worked together for an advertisement almost 11 years ago. “Adi and I have been working since the same time. He had interviewed me as a VJ for my film Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. We looked up the segment on YouTube and laughed our heads off,” she says.

Kapoor plays the character of Noor in the film, and Kaif, who will be seen playing Firdaus, credits their equation to their friendship. “We have a funny equation. We both have been working for long. But obviously, I have done many more films. He is a really nice person. He is also part of my friend circle. We know each other well,” says Katrina.

The film, which was shot in Kashmir, marks Abhishek’s fourth film, after his 2013 hit drama, Kai Po Che. And Kaif says that his interpretation of the classic novel fascinated her. “The film was a script Adi and I were really excited about. I thought it was such a beautiful, passionate love story but not clichéd at all. Abhishek has got a very unique vision that shows in the films he has made. He has got his own sensibilities and his take on things.”

PHOTO: IANS