It was disturbing when further probing into Shahid and Ileana’s alleged link-up revealed the news was nothing more than a hoax. Reports claimed the couple were taking off for long rides between shots for the upcoming flick (Phata Poster, Nikla Hero), and that they were indulging in “long meals together”. But all of the above is false. Sources close to Ileana were laughing over the matter. “Ileana is just one film old in Bollywood and if anyone is penning link-up stories, they will not sell. She had a clean slate in the south and would like to concentrate on work even in Bollywood,” a source said. Shahid, meanwhile, has his slate full. The actor was previously linked with Sonam Kapoor, his Mausam co-star, Anushka Sharma and others. Before the release of many of his films, the actor has regularly headlined news pages with his “flings”. Celebrity publicist Dale Bhagwagar explains, “It really is just match-making for the media. It depends on the actor whether he/she would deny the allegations and how agreeable and disagreeable he/she is. It is also a matter of the marital status of the actor involved. No wonder we have wives accompanying many to shoots these days.” Some are ready to agree to such a deal. “For many South heroines, a link-up with a Bollywood star is a big deal because it generates curiosity. Asin received many calls from B’town publicists asking if she was ready, but then she rejected them. It is all about what actors pick as an ‘important first step’ — a rumour, or a genuinely good movie,” another publicist said, on the condition of anonymity. But the practice is certainly helping many to stay in the news. A Tollywood PR specialist explains the “big demand” and why it’s actually good. “Link-ups are the best way for celebs to be in news. There is more good done than damage these days. Earlier, it did affect the fan base, especially the female fan base when it came to heroes. But now the attitude that ‘bad boys are exciting’ has publicists on an overdrive.” It’s high time filmdom upgraded to some new ideas for movie publicity. For now, we can report that Shahid and Ileana are not a couple and you can ignore the rumours.
