The coveted role of the main lead in Dharma Productions ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ was originally locked with A-list actor Katrina Kaif but she opted out of it for another film. As Ayan Mukerji’s all-time blockbuster marked a decade of release last week, a rare fact about the film’s casting surfaced in the reports. The reports from Indian media outlets suggest that Bollywood diva Katrina Kaif was approached and finalised opposite her then-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor in ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ but she walked away to accept the offer from Aditya Chopra for ‘Dhoom 3′. As quoted by reports from a source close to the production of the film, “It was Katrina whom Karan Johar and Ayan Mukerji approached to play the female lead Naina in YJHD. Katrina was finalized. Her dates were discussed and blocked. But then she suddenly decided not to do it.” When asked about the reason, the insider revealed, “Katrina was offered Yash Raj Films’ Dhoom 3 and the dates required by Aditya Chopra clashed with YJHD.” “Katrina had never worked with Aamir Khan before. After sleepless nights she picked Dhoom 3 over YJHD. Karan assured her it was okay since Adi’s project was to Karan a family project,” the reports mentioned. The Dharma Productions’ coming-of-the-age rom-com was then finalized with the hit pair of then, Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor along with Aditya Roy Kapur and Kalki Koechlin among others. ‘YJHD’ was a massive Box Office success and received acclaim from the critics, in addition to several accolades. On the other hand, ‘Dhoom 3’ opened to mixed reviews from critics, while Kaif’s role and performance were majorly forgettable. Interestingly, ‘Dhoom 3’ was first signed with Padukone but Kaif came on board after the former backed out.