Alia Bhatt has time and again been linked with actor Sidharth Malhotra, but the actress says he is just a "close friend".

The 22-year-old actress and Sidharth made debut together with Karan Johar's "Student of the Year" and reports of their romance have been surfacing since quite some time.

However such rumours does not affect Alia as she will continue sharing the bond she has with the 31-year-old actor.

"I have made it very clear that he (Sidharth) is a very close friend of mine and shall remain as such," Alia told PTI.


The actress was in the city along with Fawad Khan and Sidharth to promote their upcoming film "Kapoor & Sons" and said she was happy to see the "Ek Villain" actor playing a lighter character.

"I was very happy for him that he was improvising to play the lighter role. I have seen this side of an intense and brooding type and not seen him playing a lighter role. I think it is a new take on his career, for sure," she said.

The film is about a dysfunctional family and the "Highway" actress said Rishi Kapoor, who plays the grandfather, is the force which brings everyone together. His desire to have a family picture binds the family.

"Kapoor & Sons" has been directed by Shakun Batra and praising the helmer, Alia said he is a director of this generation and his treatment of the story is new.

"Shakun represents the voice of today's perspective of relationships. He has treated the subject of relationships differently," she said.