Mumbai/IBNS: Actor Muzammil Ibrahim has claimed he was in a relationship with now Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone for two years.

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Muzammil reluctantly recounted his courtship with Deepika, who was busy with modelling about two decades ago.

"I don't think we should talk about this because she is married now. We were very good friends and we still are. I respect her a lot. A very nice girl. We dated when we started modelling," Muzammil said with a lot of hesitation on the YouTube channel.

When he was pestered to reveal more about his dating phase with the 'Pathaan' actress, Muzammil shared, "We are the same age. We dated for two years. I was like the first guy she met in Bombay. Deepika was my second relationship in life. She was very confident because she is Prakash Padukone's daughter so everyone knew about her."

"She was the one who proposed to me. I was the one who broke up."

Muzammil shared he was in touch with Deepika on and off until she got married. Deepika got married to Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh in 2018.

He even narrated his dates with the leading B-Town actress, who was then struggling to make her place in tinseltown, in rickshaws in the rain.

"I was a star at that time, she was not. She is a superstar now. Everyone knows her, nobody knows me. I am a big fan. I love watching her movies. She is a beautiful woman. She is doing so great but the fact is what it is. Before she got married, we would talk sometimes. But we haven't talked after her marriage," Muzammil said.

"We were kids back then. We would go on dates in a rickshaw in the rain. It was very cute. I had more money than her because I was regularly working back then. Then I bought a car and she was very happy about that. These things are very memorable because I have not been on a date in a rickshaw since then, and we were so happy even though we had no money," he added.

Muzammil, who was also a model-turned-actor like Deepika, gained fame by winning the Gladrags Manhunt India title in 2003. He made his film debut with Pooja Bhatt's Dhoka in 2007.

He had earned praise for his performance in Dhoka, and later appeared in films like Horn 'Ok' Pleassss (2009) and Will You Marry Me? (2012).

Deepika, now 39, made her dream Bollywood debut featuring opposite superstar Shah Rukh Khan with Om Shanti Om in 2007.

Over the years through several hiccups, Deepika tasted success with films like Bachna Ae Haseeno, Love Aaj Kal, Cocktail, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Happy New Year et al.

While Muzammil faded from the audience's memory by then, Deepika established herself as an A-lister with Bajirao Mastani, Piku, Padmaavat.

She reached the pinnacle of her success in recent years with Pathaan, Jawan, Kalki 2898 AD et al.

Meanwhile, Deepika embraced motherhood last year with the birth of her daughter Dua.