Karan Johar seems to have failed to pull off a casting coup of Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor for his forthcoming production Agneepath.

While rumours suggested that Bebo might be gyrating to an item number in the Hrithik-Priyanka starrer, the truth is that the actress will not be a part of the film, in any way.

The song in question would have been a part of a sequence that takes place in the villain Kancha Cheena's (played by Sanjay Dutt) den. And since the film is a remake of the classic 70s, the villain's den needs to have a Helen.

Kareena, if one recalls has been Farhan Akhtar's choice to replay the veteran item queen in his version of Don earlier, when she danced to Yeh Mera Dil with Shah Rukh Khan.

Though Karan Johar and Agneepath director Karan Malhotra following Farhan's example, had approached Kareena to groove for their remake of Agneepath, the actress has refused the offer.

A source revealed, "It was a tough call for Kareena. She certainly didn't want to refuse KJo who is a very close friend. But she did."

This however, happens to be the second time Kareena has refused an offer from the filmmaker. KJo had approached Kareena for the lead role in the 2003 film Kal Ho Na Ho.

This cost the actress his friendship and also a blockbuster, which was grabbed by Preity Zinta. KJo and Kareena had later patched up in 2006.

Unlike 2003, the filmmaker has taken her refusal in the right spirit, this time around. "Karan is a thorough professional. He understands the intricacies of Bollywood. He has taken it very sportingly," said the source.

Kareena's refusal to do an item number in Agneepath, interestingly, comes in the wake of Priyanka Chopra's acceptance to do a cameo for the former actress' film RA.One.

On July 9, we told you how Priyanka Chopra has agreed to gyrate in Kareena starrer RA.One, produced by Shah Rukh Khan despite the two actresses not being the best of friends. Kareena, however, seems not too interested in payback.

While some speculate that Kareena's refusal may have something to do with Priyanka, it might also be due to the lead actor Hrithik Roshan.

Kareena and Hrithik who were rumoured to have been rather close while working together in Subhash Ghai's Yaadein went on to work together in Karan Johar's Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Mujhse Dosti Karoge (2002 and Rajshri's Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003).

However, the actors chose never to work together post that.

They avoided each other off-screen as well, with Kareena never seen at the several parties thrown at the Roshans' Juhu residence Palazzio.

Despite repeated attempts, Kareena Kapoor, Karan Johar and Karan Malhotra ,remained unavailable for comment.