COLD WAR

The cold war is believed to have started, rather conveniently, just as the promotional activities were coming to an end. An industry insider says, "There were cold vibes between them while promoting the film in Delhi. Aamir (Khan), who was there too, played the mediator."

Is it a case of professional rivalry or just another fickle Bollywood friendship? Or perhaps a bit of both. The insider says, "Talaash did well at the box-office, but Rani and Kareena's friendship soured after the reviews came out. Though Kareena had the bigger role in the film, Rani's acting garnered more appreciation. That could be one of the reasons for this."

At the recently held success party for the film, Kareena and Rani did not come face-to-face. "Kareena was at the party till about 11.30 pm. And Rani walked in 10 minutes after Kareena left."

When contacted, Rani's spokesperson says, "We don't know where these stories originate from. The people who were there during the filming and the promotional interviews are aware of the love and respect Rani and Kareena have for each other. Both have met socially over the last 10 years, since their first film, Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002)."

We tried contacting Kareena, but she remained unavailable for a comment.