'I was a star at the time and she was a budding model.'
'Now, she is a superstar and nobody knows me.'
In a surprising reveal, model-turned-actor Muzammil Ibrahim has claimed that he dated Deepika Padukone for two years when she first came to Mumbai to pursue a career in acting.
The Special Ops actor had won the Gladrags Manhunt Contest in 2003.
'I was the first guy she met in Bombay. She was my first serious relationship,' Ibrahim says in a podcast with Siddharth Kannan.
'Deepika proposed to me but I broke it off later. I was a star at the time and she was a budding model. Now, she is a superstar and nobody knows me,' Ibrahim says.
He clarified that he is not jealous of her success because he believes that if you love someone, you should be happy to see your ex doing well in life.
'By nature, I am not a jealous person,' Muzammil said.
Deepika came to Mumbai in the early 2000s and got her first break with Himesh Reshammiya's 2006 song, Naam Hai Tera, in which she featured.
Muzammil and Deepika worked together when they modelled for the Tommy Hilfiger brand, and that's when they got close to each other.
Ibrahim feels it is not right to talk about the relationship now, as she is married.
'We were good friends and I respect her a lot,' he says.
Did he ever regret breaking up with her?
'No. I never regret leaving anyone. Sakht launda hoon, bhai (I am a strong person),' he says.
He clarified that the break-up was not because of ego as one can never have ego in love.
'The break up was for some other reason,' he says, without getting into details.
Talking about their relationship, he says, 'We were kids and while dating, we used to catch an auto during the rains. It was a very cute time. I never went on a date in an autorickshaw after my break up with her. I used to have more money than her at that time. Later, I bought my (first) car and she was very happy for me.
'I had told RJ Aman Nagpal to play Deepika Padukone's favourite song from Kaun... It was her birthday and he played Deepika's favourite songs for 90 minutes.'
Is he still in touch with her?
'Not after her marriage but yes, before her marriage, I was in touch with her.'
Deepika wed Ranveer Singh in 2018.
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