Genelia on special dosti with Riteish

Courtesy: Upala KBR, Mid-Day

There are reports that Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza (who co-starred in Tujhe Meri Kasam and Masti) have been going around for the last five years.

The couple is said to be serious about each other, and may be considering getting married.

Genelia, currently shooting for a Telegu film in Hyderabad, clears the air on her relationship with CM Vilasrao Deshmukh's son. "I am not planning to get married to Riteish," she says.

Standard reply

So what's their relationship like? "I won't deny that Riteish and I are very good friends, but we are not having an affair. We have been hearing this for the last five years. For the last eight months, I have been working in Hyderabad on four Telegu films, and he's been busy with his work in Mumbai. How could a relationship sustain that way?"

But she admits to being in touch with Riteish. "We do keep in touch once in a while, but not regularly. It's not like he's my best friend. My best friends are my St Andrew's College buddies."

Met the family

The actress says she's met the Deshmukh family. "I have visited his home a couple of times and met his family. I know his brothers from the time they would drop in on the sets of Tujhe Meri Kasam - the film we did together."

Riteish and I became close friends after we did two films together. After your first film, you become more friends than co-stars. When you... don't come from filmi backgrounds, you tend to open up and get close - Genelia D'Souza

Non-filmi backgrounds

"Recently, I haven't partied with Riteish," says Genelia. "Earlier, once in a while, we used to party together. Riteish and I became close friends after we did two films together. After your first film, you become more friends than co-stars. When you live and breathe together and don't come from filmi backgrounds, you tend to open up and get close."

Who's that girl?

We hear Riteish and Genelia are fighting over VJ Anusha Dandekar, who has been spotted in Riteish's company of late. First at the Stardust Awards, and again earlier this week, when Riteish and she drove together for Abhishek Bachchan's birthday party.

But Anusha is dating VJ Rannvijay.

So what's going on here? When contacted, Anousha says, "Yes, I am very much dating Rannvijay. It's ridiculous to even ask if there is something on between Ritieish and me! I refuse to answer that. I did go to Abhishek's birthday party, but not with Riteish. I wasn't the girl with him in the car." Despite efforts to contact him, Riteish remained unavailable.

No bikinis, please!

"People in Mumbai were offering me cutie-pie, girl-next-door roles, and I didn't want to get typecast. I come from a middle-class background and have middle-class values. I won't be caught in a bikini or shoot a kissing scene. So I couldn't do some of the films they offered me in Mumbai," explains the actress.

"I got the right offers and great roles in the south (her first film was with Rang De Basanti hero, Siddharth) in a short span of time. I haven't bought a house here, though. Once I am done with my four south films, I plan to start looking for work in Mumbai again."