There’s more to the Hrithik Roshan-Kangana Ranaut saga than just being a nasty episode in tinsel world’s often-murky history. It’s also a saga that’s impacting three of the most powerful dynasties in Bollywood — the Roshans, the Bachchans and the Kapoors.

Hrithik, divorced from wife Sussanne, is reportedly leading an active social life with Shweta Bachchan, the statuesque daughter of Amitabh Bachchan. The two friends are reportedly often seen together in parties, high-end restaurants and private screening of films, but are cautious not to be snapped in the same frame by the paparazzi.

Bollywood insiders say it was at some point in 2014 that Hrithik became close friends with Shweta and started socially distancing himself from his Krrish 3 co-star Kangana. The Bachchans and the Roshans insist that Hrithik and Shweta are “childhood friends”. Industry insiders claim there was scant contact between the two after Shweta went to school and university abroad and married industrialist Nikhil Nanda in Delhi, other than being together at the odd filmdom party. Hrithik and the Roshans were not invited to either Shweta or Abhishek’s weddings.

Shweta’s husband Nikhil is Raj Kapoor’s grandson and the son of Ritu and Rajan Nanda of Escorts. Shweta has been preferring to spend time with the Bachchans at red carpet events in Mumbai. It was Hrithik’s childhood friend and 
Rang de Basanti actor Kunal Kapoor’s courtship with wife Naina, daughter of Ajitabh Bachchan and cousin of Shweta, that was reportedly instrumental in reuniting Hrithik and Shweta as good friends again.

Kunal hails from a business family in Amritsar where he spent his early childhood, moving to Mumbai later and hanging out with the Bandra/Juhu film industry kids where he met Hrithik. Naina and Shweta are also very close and with the Bachchan girl having moved to Mumbai, both women are part of a group that includes the socialite Kajal Anand, actress Malaika Arora Khan, actor Sikander Kher, fashion designer/director Vikram Phadnis and producer Karan Johar. Kunal and Naina and Shweta and Hrithik are reportedly often spotted at high-end restaurants in Mumbai.

When Kunal and Naina finally wed in the Seychelles in February 2015, the entire Raj Kapoor-Nanda clan were conspicuous by their absence at the post-wedding reception at a Delhi farmhouse two months later. Only Shweta attended with her two children. Hrithik was the centre of attention on and off the dance floor at the reception where Priyanka Gandhi and husband Robert Vadra also put in an appearance. Shweta, in a pink sari, was seen dancing enthusiastically to the music from Hrithik’s films with the star himself, Abhishek, Naina and Kunal Kapoor.

On the evening of the reception — Saturday, April 11, 2015 — Nikhil Nanda was in Mumbai, publicly seen having dinner with his grandmother Krishna Kapoor, uncle Randhir Kapoor, aunt Neetu Kapoor, cousin Ranbir Kapoor and Ranbir’s then girlfriend Katrina Kaif, and other cousins, including Riddhima Kapoor and Arman Jain, at the Royal China Restaurant in Bandra. Nikhil’s absence stoked much speculation, especially as the invitation card sent out by the bride’s parents Ramola and Ajitabh Bachchan clearly had his name printed in the compliments section.

That Hrithik is close to Amitabh Bachchan and his family cannot be denied. In the Kangana-Hrithik social media duel, Kunal Kapoor is one of the few members of the film industry to publicly speak out in support of Hrithik. Some Bollywood old-timers however, say before the Kangana-Hrithik battle finally lands in a court of law, Amitabh and Abhishek, who are perceived to be close to Hrithik, should counsel him against allowing an already messy battle to turn into a damaging war.