It all started when Kangana Ranaut alleged that she and Hrithik Roshan dated ever since Kites in 2009; the latter disputed this claim and sent her a legal notice last year after she appeared to refer to him as a 'silly ex' in an interview. A public exchange of recriminations and accusations followed. Four years since the feud started, Hrithik Roshan has finally released an official statement giving his two cents on the matter.

Calling the media coverage of their spat a "circus", he wrote in a lengthy statement on social media, "I don't see any grace in adding to this circus by testifying in defence of my character in a situation that I have no involvement in whatsoever." His statement further read, "I have been dragged into a dirty perverse mess without a choice in the matter. This is something that is not of my making. The truth is, I have never met the lady in question one on one in my entire life. Yes, we have worked together, but there has been no meeting in private."

He also said in his defence, "An alleged 7-year long, passionate affair between two high profile celebrities with no trail left behind. No evidence, no paparazzi pictures, no witnesses, not even a memento in possession like a selfie taken at the alleged engagement which is claimed to have happened in Paris in Jan 2014. Nothing that constitutes an exchange or any sort of proof of a romantic relationship. Yet we want to believe the other party because the rhetoric is – why would a girl lie?"

He wrapped it up with "This is not, and I repeat, not a lovers spat. I humbly request people to stop labelling it as one and, for a second, try and see it for what it really is,” adding that the “social bias toward women has deemed me helpless in defending myself."