This year, actor Nia Sharma You’ll have to settle for a virtual one. Bhai Dooj celebration as his brother Vinay Sharma, a Bengaluru-based IT professional, had recently visited Mumbai to celebrate his birthday “in a big way”.

She says, “He often surprises me with gifts; We don’t need an occasion to give each other gifts. We have a small ritual at Bhai Dooj, where teeka hota hai and I give him a nariyal and lots of fruits.”

Talking about their relationship, the actor shares, “I’m four years younger than him and growing up, we were two lunatics trying to kill each other. But then life happened and things got difficult. He took care of me like a father and became the pillar of our family. “It has made up for the years and the silly, stupid fights we used to have.”

Nia Sharma He calls his bond with Vinay “super strong”: “Today, he is calmer and more emotionally vulnerable than me. In fact, over the last year he has had some health problems and that has made me feel more affectionate towards him. I think I got closer to him then. I get very emotional and protective of my brother. Fortunately, he is very well now.”