Mumbai: A long-awaited collaboration between Kareena Kapoor and Sanjay Leela Bhansali may finally be on the cards.
Reports suggest the actor is in discussions to headline the filmmaker’s next ambitious project alongside Dhanush, potentially paving the way for a reunion 25 years after their widely reported fallout over ‘Devdas’.
According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, Bhansali has approached Kareena to play the female lead in his upcoming film.
While the actor is reportedly interested in the project, she has yet to sign on the dotted line.
The report adds that both sides are currently working through scheduling, remuneration, and other contractual formalities before the collaboration can be finalised.
The reported rift between Kareena and Bhansali dates back to the casting of ‘Devdas’.
Kareena was initially considered for a role in the film, but it eventually went to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
The actor later admitted she was deeply disappointed by how events unfolded, and the two never collaborated in the years that followed.
In an old interview with Filmfare, Kareena had said she would never work with Bhansali again.
“I’ll never. What he did to me was wrong. He screen-tested me for Devdas, gave me a signing amount, then took someone else. That was wrong, it hurt especially because I was at the start of my career. It’s okay, because the day he dropped me, I signed Yaadein. Sanjay hurt me. Even if I have no work, I’ll never work with him,” Kareena said.
The upcoming project is said to be a large-scale mythological adventure set in a jungle.
While the makers have kept the plot under wraps, reports claim the story revolves around an elephant and incorporates strong mythological themes.
Bhansali is producing the film, while filmmaker P. S. Mithran will direct it.
The script is currently in development, with pre-production expected to begin later this year. If all goes according to plan, the film is likely to go on floors in January 2027.
On the work front, Kareena will next be seen in Meghna Gulzar’s crime thriller Daayra, co-starring Prithviraj Sukumaran.
Bhansali, meanwhile, is busy with Love & War, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal.
