The Uncoupling

So, are Deepika and Ranveer calling it a day - or not?

by

Sushmita Bose

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Published: Fri 28 Oct 2016, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Sat 5 Nov 2016, 10:41 AM

A few weeks ago, when I (casually) informed someone that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - aka, Brangelina - had announced splitsville (it was Breaking News all over the Internet), he almost had a seizure. "What? What? What?" he kept repeating with a slightly crazed look in his eyes. "This cannot be," he mumbled when he'd had enough of "whats". "How can Brangelina be no more? How? They were the perfect couple."
Ah well.
Last week, it was my turn to be thrown off-kilter when I walked into the editorial meeting room while there was a discussion ongoing about Bajirao and Mastani splitting into single units: Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh had, reportedly, called it quits, according to the 'online grapevine'. "What? What? What?" I exclaimed, as the collective gaze of all gathered trained on me. "It's yesterday's news," the online editor said tersely (translating into: "You're clearly not on top of news, you have no business being part of the newsroom").
Later, I plunged headlong into Google research on Deepika-Ranveer. Turned out, unlike Brangelina - who came out with a well-structured statement on the break-up - these two had offered no comment on 'End of the Affair'. What's more, there's been no certified assertion from either party that they were, indeed, "having a scene" in the first place. So if they haven't come on record about them being together, slim chance of them providing a public closure report. Daily Mail (I had no idea they were this interested in Bollywood) had a semi-scoop, I noticed. A 'source close to the couple' - how I love this turn of phrase! - had, allegedly, substantiated the split claiming it happened because Deepika is not ready for marriage and kids, while Ranveer is raring to go the family way.
Inspired, I decided to do a Daily Mail-type operation and spoke to someone who's (allegedly) close to people who are close to Deepika and Ranveer. "They haven't broken up," The Source declared solemnly. "It's all wild speculation."
The virtual world was, on the other hand, intent on giving me a different take altogether.  Vin Diesel, some sites screamed, was the "reason" for the uncoupling. Evidence was in the form of photographs of this Diesel character - I've not watched a single film of his, but I hear he is a tough and ready sort, always ready to beat up the baddies (in reel life) - posing with Deepika; captions, roughly, read thus: "This photo will make Ranveer SOOOOO jealous" or "Deepika and Diesel look straight out of a matrimonial ad, don't they?" What? Really? Because you pose with a co-star (they're working on xXx: Return of Xander Cage, a film I will definitely not watch)? I tried looking for subtle cues in these incriminating poses; there were none. They just looked like regular, posed photos. (This also led me to fulminate over whether hobnobbing with a friend/colleague from the opposite sex tantamounts to "having a scene" - but let's save that for another Talking Point.)
A couple of days later, there was yet another twist in the tale. No, it's not Vin Diesel who's ipso facto behind the split of Bollywood's Brangelina - it's Shahid Kapoor, that sweet-faced actor who's a ferocious vegetarian and who, again reportedly, had forced previous girlfriends to adopt the green way (or take the highway). Even as I'm typing this, the first despatch that comes up on Google if you type Deepika + Ranveer + split, is 'OMG! Is Shahid Kapoor the reason behind the Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh break up?' "Sparks have been flying between Shahid and Deepika on Twitter" - which is what led beady-eyed social media analysts to jump to this conclusion.
The second despatch on Google says, "Break-Up Is Hurting Her! Deepika Padukone Looks So Sad In New Picture Post Split With Ranveer Singh". So is she flirting with Shahid on Twitter or feeling sad about her break-up? Or both?
At this point, The Source interrupted with an update: looks like there may be an element of truth in all this online hyperventilation, I was told. "There has been a split then?"
"Possibly."  
sushmita@khaleejtimes.com