"This is so stupid! There're people from many walks of life whom I've known beyond their jobs and mine. I've known Priyanka Gandhi and her family for some time. But now that they're into political power, people seem to notice our meetings more than they did before," tells Shah Rukh.
"Our getting together had nothing to do with our jobs. They wanted to see one of my shoots and I invited them to see me shoot for 'Paheli'," he said hotly.
According to media reports, Priyanka was flown down to Film City on a private jet where she spent the day watching Shah Rukh shoot. At night, she and her husband left for a dinner hosted by Shah Rukh, also attended by Rani Mukherjee and Rajya Sabha member Rajiv Shukla.
And is Priyanka Gandhi a huge fan of Shah Rukh's work?
"She likes me as a person. Whether she and her husband are fans I don't know. But like a lot of my fellow-countrymen, they watch my films and enjoy them. Our meeting had no political undertones," he maintained.
"Actually, it's silly of me to even react to this speculation. I meet so many people all the time. Just because I'm an actor, I can be asked anything, is it?"