When Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra sparked romance rumours

Bollywood celebrities often find themselves ensnared within linkup and breakup rumours, almost always leaving fans wondering about their love lives.

And while a number of celebrities have in the past fallen prey, some conjecture about stars actually leaves fans quite amused and startled, like the time B-Town’s A-listers Priyanka Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan were rumoured to be hitting it off.

Unearthed reports coming afloat show how the two stars had once left Bollywood buffs taken aback after speculation went rife that the two were more than ‘just good friends’.

It was revealed further that owing to the circulating buzz, SRK even had to cut off Priyanka from his close friends’ circle, in order to protect his public reputation.

Addressing the entire episode, Khan spoke to IBN at that time and said: "Two parts – 1. To me, what is most disturbing is the fact that a lady who has worked with me has been questioned and somewhere down the line, not been shown the kind of respect I show her, or all the women. I think it's little disrespectful. I am extremely sorry about that.”

“Sorry exactly is not because of anything I have done but the fact that she is my friend, she is one of the closest friends I have and very close to my heart and always will be. I just feel that sometimes, when things are said, I needed to step back from it because I find it very small and menial and you know it just tends to spoil the relationship that people share while working together,” he went on to say.

“She is a little girl who started her Miss India crowning with me or Miss World crowning with me, I don't remember. We have shared some of the nicest moments on-screen, off it as friends and it's unfortunate. It's extremely unfortunate and sad for me to think that a friendship gets a little soiled,” he added.

Asked if his friendship with Priyanka bore the brunt of rumours, Khan said: "Not at all. I think she is mature enough to deal with it."

On the other hand, when Priyanka was asked to address the issue, the actor responded: “I will not talk about this. I shall never talk about this.”