Katrina Kaif reveals that she was about to leave Bollywood after Namastey London
As difficult as it is to believe, Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar's Namastey London was released in theatres 15 years ago. Namastey London is unique for several reasons. Not only did the Vipul Shah-directed film attract attention to leading lady Katrina's acting abilities, but it also launched comedian and actor Vir Das' film career. The film was well-received upon its initial release, and it starred names such as the late Rishi Kapoor.
Kaif previously stated on Karan Johar's chat show Koffee With Karan that she was concerned about the film's reception because she saw herself dominating the majority of the screen time. It must be noted that, before the release of this film, Katrina was mostly thought of as a beautiful face in Bollywood who was cast to add charm and glamour.
Katrina was so certain of Namastey London's failure that she wanted to flee the city even before the doomsday clock struck twelve. Katrina said “ I am packing my bags and I am going to find a new career. After the film, she was about to pack her bags and leave, but when she heard that film became a massive hit in theaters she couldn’t believe it. Katrina Kaif further adds, “That was nice, it was really important for me because I think it did change people’s perception. It was the first time I got so many calls even from the industry, from directors saying, ‘I think you did pretty well in the movie.”
As previously stated, Namastey London proved to be a watershed moment not only in Katrina's career but also in the career of beloved comedian Vir Das. During the shoot, Das expressed his admiration for the legendary Rishi Kapoor. They had shared screen time in a memorable scene from the film.
Namastey London was directed and produced by Vipul Shah and authored by Suresh Nair with dialogues by Ritesh Shah. Himesh Reshammiya composed the music. In 2007, the film was released.
