Upala KBR (DNA; November 17, 2015)
Director Punit Malhotra and actress Esha Gupta began dating during the shooting of Gori Tere Pyaar Mein (in which she did an item song) and have now split up, according to an industry source.
Adds the source, “Esha and Punit split more than a month ago. Both attended Exceed’s Diwali bash in Bandra on November 7, but they made separate entries and exits. They’ve never openly admitted to their relationship or attended events together, but everyone close to them knew they were dating. The pressure of keeping their relationship a secret is what eventually drove them apart. Esha attended Sachiin Joshi’s Diwali party solo.”
Prior to Esha, Punit had earlier been involved with Sonam Kapoor, during I Hate Luv Storys, but that had ended amicably a couple of years after the film’s release. Says a source close to the actress, “Punit was over-possessive. Esha didn’t approve of being told how to conduct herself personally or professionally. They tried working out their differences for the last six months but it wasn’t working out, so they decided to call it quits.” But those close to Punit say that this is far from the truth. Meanwhile, Esha has immersed herself in work. She’s currently acting in South films and recently shot with Emraan Hashmi for a music video.”
Punit and Esha remained unavailable for comment.