'Close friends' Bipasha Basu and Rana Daggubati are not even on talking terms anymore. Was there really any romance to begin with?

In an industry where relationships are made and broken at the drop of a hat, Bipasha Basu and Rana Daggubati's close friendship going kaput does not really surprise anymore.

There were 'issues' from the beginning (his apparent closeness with South actress Trisha) and the two never really admitted to be dating each other. And now apparently, they are hardly making an effort to even keep in touch.

Now that Rana has found his feet in Bollywood, and Bips is quite busy with work, looks like they don't need each other as much as they did, a few months back.

Says a source, "Rumours about them seeing each other helped him gain publicity, and she being a successful, single woman, really did not mind the link-up. It surely helped their film. And though they were friends, at this point they have lost touch."

Though Bipasha, time and again, clarified that she was very much single, never actually denied dating Rana. In an interview to Mid Day, she had even said, "I am going out for dinners with people I like. That's how it starts right? So I'm taking it easy.

I don't know what comes next." However, it is Rana who seems to have benefited the most from this. He has not just managed to sign a Ram Gopal Varma's cop film, but also signed an international film.

Adds the source, "He was noticed well in his first film and that's the reason he is getting projects. Bipasha however always had his back and it helped."



Hiccups along the way

There were reports about trouble in paradise even in December, when Rana was spotted cosying up with rumoured girlfriend Trisha at the Sunburn music festival. Bipasha who was supposed to attend the fest apparently backed out at the last minute.

Says the source, "She was shooting at the time and she anyway would not have been able to make it. But yes, since then they really haven't had a reason to hang out or even chat up." Bipasha Basu however denied the story saying. "It's not true."