You probably missed it in all the excitement of your own social media activity, but one of the nicest exchanges of pleasantries and goodwill on Twitter this month was between Bollywood superstars and rivals Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan.
It’s not out there in the open, but for years, Akshay and SRK are said to have had a silent feud more than a competition running between them. The media, of course, gleefully played the actors against one another. And while both Akshay and SRK maintained a cold and professional silence, these jhagadas in the press were seen to happen always at the time of a big release by one of actors.
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From the archives: Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan[/caption]
Now all that, like the thaw between unfriendly neighbouring nations, is hopefully a thing of the past, because for the first time ever both the actors have not just been cordial with each other – but openly friendly and happily supportive.
It started when Akshay graciously tweeted on November 2, wishing SRK for his birthday and also for his December 21 release Zero whose trailer the Bollywood Badshah had timed to coincide with his 53rd birthday celebrations. In a handsome message, Akshay told Shah Rukh that he loved the trailer and predicted the film had “blockbuster” written all over it.
Courteous always himself, SRK responded to Akshay on Twitter after the dust and noise of the Zero trailer had settled down. Affectionately calling him “Akki”, SRK thanked Akshay for the birthday wishes and for his stamp of approval for Zero’s trailer. “It means the world to us,” he said generously.
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SRK's and Akshay's Twitter exchange[/caption]
Then SRK paid the compliment back. He congratulated Akshay in advance for the success of the latter’s November 29 release, the grand sci-fi thriller 2.0 with South superstar Rajnikanth. “Your look in the film is PHANTASMAGORIC!!!” Shah Rukh added.
We are proud of the magnanimity shown by these two superstars. Ultimately, their bonhomie augurs well for Bollywood only. Wonder what’s next. Shah Rukh Khan taking a break from the hectic ongoing media promotions of Zero to watch 2.0 this weekend? And Akshay Kumar tweaking his Christmas vacation to see Zero before leaving for cooler climes with his family like he always does at year end?
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SRK ft Zero (l) and Akshay ft. 2.0 posters (R)[/caption]
