Bollywood couples who love playing the denial game

Remember how Anushka Sharma flatly denied her relationship with Ranveer Singh on a recent television chat show? Barely a week later, the two were spotted smooching at Shahid Kapoor’s birthday party. Deepika Padukone has always been tightlipped about her dating Sidhartha Mallya. Unfortunately for her, only a day ago, English cricketer Kevin Pietersen exposed the lovebirds on Twitter when he said, “Just had a lovely lunch with @sidharthamallya & his girlfriend @deepikapadukone.. Thanks for picking up the bill Deepika.. NOT!! Haha”.

There are other couples who love playing the denial game, but are viewed as lovers by the Bollywood parade and the audience. Priyanka-Shahid, Ranbir-Katrina... the list goes on. Says model Mitali Rannorey, “If they don’t want to admit to the relationship, they should just smile and dismiss the question. It’s dumb to lie blatantly when they are seen hanging out extensively in public or indulging in PDA. It’s better to reveal the truth than let people spread rumours about you.”

It could be that the stars like to keep the world guessing about their relationship status. “Once they admit to being attached, everyone will lose interest in them. The celebrities like to create a buzz around their relationship, so that people follow them wherever they go, hoping to get a scoop,” says DJ Sash, adding, “However, keeping their relationship under wraps is completely their prerogative. They have the right to do so, and shouldn’t be judged for it.”

But actress Sharmila Mandre feels that celebrity couples should strike the right balance between making their relationship public and enjoying their private lives. “Saif and Kareena have always been open about their relationship. But they still take their private vacations to London and Stadt. And they don’t divulge every teeny detail about what they did when they were there. John and Bipasha are also cool that way.”

She adds, “The celebrities’ paranoia could stem from the fact that their romance will be analysed endlessly, if they break up at a later point in time. Or maybe they want people to focus on their movies instead of their personal lives. But there’s simply no point in denying it when they are seen together all the time, and people will know anyway.”