In the days before a celebrity spat was fodder for social media, the headlines were dominated by a reported clash between Kareena Kapoor and Bipasha Basu while they were shooting Ajnabee. The 2001 thriller put both actresses in front of the camera with Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol, yet it was not the film’s suspenseful plot that drew attention so much as talk of the strain between its two female leads.
Fashion designer Vikram Phadnis, who had done the costumes for both, was at the heart of the matter. A disagreement over clothing with the designer was said to have been the origin of things and it did not stay private for long; both women put their side of it in interviews. The whole affair gave rise to one of Kareena’s more memorable lines on a co-star. In 2002 she told Filmfare that the tiff with Bipasha was “the only claim to fame” the other actress had. But according to the producer and the actresses themselves, the reality was not as simple as the press would have it.
What Happened Between Kareena Kapoor And Bipasha Basu On Ajnabee Sets?
It is reported that the controversy started due to costumes and Vikram Phadnis, the designer, who was associated with both the actors during the course of the film. It was said that the tension started when Bipasha contacted Vikram Phadnis without Kareena’s knowledge. Details of the confrontation have been inconsistent.
In an interview with Filmfare (2001), Bipasha stated the issue was with Vikram Phadnis, not with her, and she had no idea why she was being dragged into the matter.
“I think this is a case of making a mountain out of a molehill,” she said, adding that the entire episode was childish.
Bipasha also stated, at that time, she had no wish to work with Kareena again. Bipasha’s comments provided the first insight into the frosty relationship the two actresses share. Yet the two continued with their own professional commitments.
What Did Kareena Kapoor Say About Bipasha Basu?
Kareena responded to the controversy in a 2002 Filmfare interview, where she was asked about Bipasha. Her answer was pointed, and it ensured that the reported disagreement continued to attract attention.
“She just doesn’t seem to have any confidence in her own talent. In a four-page interview, she spoke about me for three pages. Why not talk about your work?” Kareena said.
She then made the remark that would become closely associated with the feud.
“I think her only claim to fame is that she fought with me during Ajnabee over dress designer Vikram Phadnis,” Kareena said.
She also denied having called Bipasha insulting names, describing the allegation as a figment of her imagination. Her comments showed that the disagreement had continued to shape how the two actresses spoke about each other even after the film’s release.
Did Kareena Kapoor Slap Bipasha Basu?
There have been many reports about this alleged feud and a few have claimed that Kareena and Bipasha’s disagreement became a physical one and that Kareena even slapped Bipasha. Some have claimed that Kareena even said “kaali billi” to Bipasha during the slapping incident. However, just because these have been reported, doesn’t mean we should believe these to be true. The reported accounts do not conclusively show that a slap even took place. Additionally, the public statements from the two actresses show that the reported physical altercation is not even the case.
Bipasha’s 2001 comments, however, said that people were blowing things up and that Kareena’s issue was with the designer. Kareena has denied making those comments in the past. The alleged slapping incident has been part of the feud, but what is important is to look at what the two actresses have stated in the past and not look at what has been reported.
What Did Ajnabee’s Producer Say About Their Feud?
Vijay Galani, producer of Ajnabee spoke about the clash during an interview with Bollywood Hungama in 2021. He said there were issues with costumes, but not to the extent they were covered by the media. Galani said if an outfit is sent by a designer to the heroine, the other actress is free to make her costume choices and comparisons. These small issues do come up but not to the extent that they disturb the work, he said. He said Abbas and Mustan were able to manage the situation and the tensions did not come in the way of work. His version does justice to the other, more dramatic, versions, of the story. The situation was of course tense enough for the media to pick up on it, but the producer said the issues were small.
How Did Kareena Kapoor And Bipasha Basu Move On?
The reported feud remained a talking point for years, with both actresses later discussing their strained equation. In a 2005 episode of Koffee With Karan, Bipasha spoke about the change in their relationship during the film’s shooting schedules, saying she had realised that Kareena did not like her. She also clarified that the tension did not prevent them from working professionally together. The comments suggested that their personal equation and their ability to complete the film’s scenes were separate matters.
The actresses later appeared to move beyond the dispute. Reports from 2008 said Kareena invited Bipasha to Saif Ali Khan’s birthday party, an indication that their earlier differences may have softened.
Today, the Ajnabee controversy remains a familiar chapter in early-2000s Bollywood gossip. The reported costume disagreement, Kareena’s sharp remark and the competing accounts of the episode have kept it alive in throwback coverage. Yet the producer’s recollection also offers a reminder that a dispute can become much larger in public retellings than it may have been on the film set.