Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra dating rumours: Udta Punjab actress calls former co-star 'very good friend'

Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra have enchanted fans with their romantic on-screen chemistry and this had sparked rumours of the two dating. Though the couple never confirmed the rumours before, the Udta Punjab actress has finally opened up about her relationship status and called her former co-star a "very good friend".

"Rumours are rumours. How can they be true or false. Sid is a very, very good friend of mine. He will always be," the 23-year-old Indian actress told Bollywood Life.

Earlier, speculation was abuzz that Malhotra and Bhatt had broken up due to the former's proximity with Shraddha Kapoor, another actress. Various news outlets reported that the couples' relationship turned sour after the actor signed another movie with Kapoor.

Bhatt, who was previously linked to her Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania co-star Varun Dhawan, has signed another film, Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya, opposite him. But the actress, who is currently preparing for the release of her controversial movie Udta Punjab, refuted the rumours of a rift with the 31-year-old Indian actor.

"Let me just say this loud and clear — I am single and Sid is a supportive and extremely important friend in my life and will always be that," she told DNA in a separate interview. " As a friend, rather than asking him not to do films with any actress, I keep telling Sid to work with every person because I think he has all the charm, talent and sexiness in the world and the potential to become the biggest superstar of this country! Never in my life, will we ever tell each other what we should or should not do."

Apart from Udta Punjab, a controversial movie on drug abuse that was leaked on the internet two days before its release, the actress is currently working on her next big project with Dhawan. "It's a very special project for Varun, director Shashank Khaitan and me. We are all coming back together for the second time," she said.