Have you heard? Ajay, Akshay avoid each other?

Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar

Even though Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar project themselves as friends, it seems there's an undercurrent of rivalry that refuses to fade. The two actors, who had their films clashing on Diwali a few times in the past, are headed for another face-off this year too, as Ajay's Thank God and Akki's Ram Setu open in cinemas tomorrow. Interestingly, the two actors attended producer Anand Pandit's Diwali party on Saturday night. However, they made sure to not bump into each other at the venue. We hear Akki walked in early and after chit-chatting with the host and other guests, left soon. A while later, Ajay sauntered in. He mingled with his colleagues for sometime and left. Nonetheless, the competition between their respective films is heating up. Anil Thadani, who is distributing Thank God, has written to the exhibitors to keep the prices of his film's tickets 20 per cent lower than Ram Setu, to lure in the family audiences in big numbers. It's just a matter of days before we know which of the two movies makes more moolah this festive season.

Injury no bar

Pooja Hegde, who is currently working on her next, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, suffered a ligament tear recently. Instead of taking a break, the actor opted to bandage her ankle and continue working. She shared a clip on her social media handle, in which her make-up artist is helping her get ready for the shoot. Alongside, Pooja wrote, "The show must go on." The actor, who celebrated her 32nd birthday on the set of the Salman Khan film, will next be seen on screen in Rohit Shetty's Cirkus, which releases this Christmas.

Damn the dengue

The festival of lights started on a bad note for Salman Khan. The actor is down with a bad bout of dengue, due to which he is on a sick leave. While filming of his next, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, continues under Farhad Samji's direction, Karan Johar stepped in his place to host Bigg Boss 16 over the weekend. The reality show is familiar territory for the multi-faceted filmmaker, as he hosted its first OTT version last season. It's another thing that the channel and the production house paid a fat cheque to KJo to step in for Salman this weekend. We'll know in the coming days if Dabangg Khan will return to host the show, or KJo will make up for his absence this weekend too.

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Booking her free time

Shweta Tiwari doesn't believe in whiling away her time in between shots. Currently working on the TV show, Main Hoon Aparajita, she has books to keep her company during the breaks. Interestingly, she prefers reading real-life inspirational stories over fiction. "As a child, I loved reading and I believe I inherited my love for books from my mother. Reading an interesting novel always makes me happy and stress-free," shares Shweta, who also loves reading about Indian and European history. She adds, "I haven't really kept track of how many books I own, but enough to redesign my house to adjust the bookshelf."

Diwali in Delhi

Over the last three years, work and pandemic kept Tahir Raj Bhasin away from his family. As soon he got a break this season, he headed to Delhi to celebrate the festival of lights with his folks. "I am glad I could manage to take out some time and go back home. My family is absolutely thrilled that I am finally able to be with them this time around," says Tahir, who is looking forward to indulging in festival specialities and home-food this Diwali.

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Birthday special for Malaika

Malaika Arora turned a year older yesterday. Besides celebrating her 49th birthday with her friends, beau Arjun Kapoor marked it with a special post on social media. Along with a picture of them, he wrote, "The Yin to my Yang. Happy birthday baby. Just be you. Be happy, be mine." Malaika re-shared Arjun's post, commenting, "Only yours." So much dil vil pyaar vyaar, we tell you.

A close family affair

No festival is complete without a celebration by the Kapoors. While it was a low-key affair this time around, it saw the entire clan get together. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan hosted their families last night. Randhir Kapoor, Babita, Karisma, Sharmila Tagore, Saba Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu, along with their daughter Inaaya Naumi were present for the do.

VFX-travaganza

Director Siddharth Anand is so impressed by Brahmāstra: Part One - Shiva that he has roped in DNEG, one of the companies that created the VFX, for his next, Fighter. Starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone together for the first time, the film goes on floors in November. Duggu plays an IAF (Indian Air Force) pilot in the aerial action thriller that requires extensive special effects. Siddharth is said to be opting for hybrid filmmaking, in which, though the action will be real, some blocks will be enhanced with the help of VFX. Anil Kapoor plays a prominent role in the film.