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Ranbir Kapoor gave fans a surprise when he confirmed that he's dating his Brahmastra co-star Alia Bhatt just as that rumour began to circulate.

Speaking to Indian media recently, the actor shared why he decided to go public with his relationship.

"I only talk when I’m promoting a film. But if I’m in a relationship at that point and someone asks me, of course I’ll address it. Sometimes, you and your partner decide not to talk about it and sometimes you’re okay because there’s nothing to be shy about or hide," he says matter-of-factly.

He emphasised, though, that going public had nothing to do with seeking fame or publicity, "Of course, we don’t want to make a mockery of it and make it a reality show, but just to put things in perspective and that this is happening — respect my privacy and respect the fact that I’m sharing this with you."

To him, it was also about giving his relationship the respect and dignity it deserves.

“It comes from a place of just giving the relationship some dignity and respect. I have been privy to a lot of stupid gossip and conjecture and sometimes it causes a lot of misunderstandings, not just between the people involved, but also with your fans and the kind of perception people might have of you. It used to bother me before but I’ve realised it’s all part and parcel of show business. If people are interested in my life they’ll write about it, and if I’m not speaking about it, they’ll write even more, some of it true and some of it untrue,” Ranbir said.

He was also all praise for Alia's talent, describing her as "the potential great of all time":

"She's a mighty force. At that age, the kind of films she’s done... Just a few days back, I was doing a scene with them and it was such a rare opportunity for me as an actor to see these two different kinds of actors — Amitabh Bachchan, the greatest of all, and Alia Bhatt, the potential great of all time. Words fall short to understand where her experience has come from, how she’s so spontaneous and colourful. I see that she’s extremely disciplined, but extremely blessed and talented also.”