Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 19, 2017)

Having put up a composed front when rumours of her relationship with Ali Fazal began to be termed a promotional gimmick, Richa Chadha now breaks her silence. “I feel sad for those who think Ali and I are faking our relationship,” she tells mid- day of her Fukrey co-star. Alluding to a storyline that appeared to pair her alongside Varun Sharma’s character, Choocha, she adds, “If I had to start a love rumour to promote the film, I would have done it with Choocha. Ali and I never wanted to talk about [our relationship] publicly because we knew this is how people would react. People should use their brains before passing comments. I hope they get the right message after reading this.”

It was almost a year ago that tongues started wagging about the duo’s affection for each other. Three months after Fazal spoke about their relationship, Chadha says they’ve been “in a happy space since a long time”. “Ali and I have known each other since we were doing theatre. Speculations were rife since then. People weren’t surprised when the media published it. In fact, the media was the last to know about it.”

Chadha’s arrival at the LA premiere of Fazal’s Brit film, Victoria & Abdul, in September, appeared to be the validation that the media was seeking about their affair. The actor says the comprehension was fitting, after all, “it was obvious that I would not go so far if we were only friends.” Usually tight-lipped about her personal life, she admits the revelation then was unavoidable. “But I feel it’s always good to avoid conversation about it [a romance] as it preserves the sanctity of the relationship.”