Salman and KAt Split for good - Update page 7 - Page 5

A newspaper this week said there had been a fling between John Abraham and Katrina. This was denied by both of them in reports on Friday. Katrina added that her photograph still hung in Salman's house.

So what's the deal with the Katrina Salman relationship? Are they still together?

Here's the big story: It's over and has been for two months. Why? Many reasons.

The 'big' reason according to Salman's friends is that he proposed marriage to her last year, apparently for the first time in his life, and she said it was too early for her to be hitched.

This led to Salman slowly disengaging from the relationship which he at one point was convinced had a future. "He decided to move on because he wants kids," one friend said.

But it was "amicable" and there was "no drama," the friend said. The two still talk and even meet sometimes, but not as lovers anymore.

The reason that Katrina's still claiming that nothing has changed, they say, is that Salman has promised not to damage her career.

Katrina earns about 3-5 crore per film, plus all the other money from appearances and ads that comes because of Bollywood. This will disappear in the absence of Salman, they say.

But surely she can continue her career through her films with Akshay? The reply was that Akshay is no longer only working with Katrina. "He thinks that the jodi has been milked enough," the friend said, pointing to House Full and CC2C with Deepika and Action Replay with Aishwarya and Tashan and Kambakkht Ishq with Kareena. However, he is doing De Dhana Dhan with Katrina.

So Katrina needs the appearance of a relationship with Salman, he insisted, and the star is obliging because doesn't despise his ex:
"He just switched off romantically, but he's fond of her."

He hastened to add that this was no an on-now-off-now relationship, and that things were definitely over. He gave the example of Salman's continuing fondness for his ex of years ago, Somy Ali, who is now a documentary filmmaker in Miami. "He still calls her and says: 'Baby, I'll protect you' and things like that," the friend said.

Katrina's camp admits that it's over but cites another reason for her staying back. A friend says that Katrina is staying on because "she doesn't want to leave when Salman is going through a bad phase." Referring to the star's flops in God Tussi Great Ho, Heroes and Yuvvraaj, the pal said that Salman was not "in a happy mood" these days and was "going through a bad time professionally". Industry insiders aren't particularly excited about Salman's next Veer either, though this is because of a general antipathy towards historical films and costume dramas.

Kat's side had another reason for her not walking out fully.

"If news of the split is out, producers won't take her because they'll expect trouble from him," Kat's side says, pointing to Salman's antics on the sets of Chalte Chalte that cost Ash the role.

Salman's friends say he has matured out of that phase now.

Asked what went wrong in the relationship for it to have broken up, Kat's side did not agree with the marriage bit, but said something else: "He just wants to hang around with his chamchas and drink. She's only 24. Think of what it's like for her."

A third explanation for why the relationship hasn't been declared officially over comes from the actor's family. "He pays her bills," said a family member. Katrina's side denies this.

They point out that she is also liked by some people in the Khan family and is quite close to Alvira, Salman's sister, who's married to Atul Agnihotri. Arbaaz's wife Malaika isn't particularly a big fan of Katrina's and skipped her infamous birthday party at Olive when Salman and Shah Rukh had their fight