Farhan Akhtar's Don and Sajid Nadiadwala's Jaan-E-Mann are pitted against each other as the big draws of the Diwali season this year.

The producers of each were trying to outdo each other by trying to book the better theatres, get big and better coverage and publicity for their respective films. As this was the first time in 15 years that the box office would see the two Khans have a release on the same day, trade pundits predicted that the audience would be equally split. For the time being, the other hero of Jaan-E-Mann, Akshay Kumar, seemed to have been forgotten in the hubbub.

However, this seems to have changed. On Wednesday night, Shah Rukh saw Jaan-E-Mann at a special screening organised by Farah Khan and was so blown away by Akki's performance. So touched was SRK that he sought out the actors number and called Akshay in Dubai, where he was shooting for Feroze Nadiadwala's Welcome.

Khan's gesture means a lot, considering that he's not even an acquaintance of Akshay's. They don't hang out in the same circles, or places or have common friends. The two actors haven't even met socially or worked together since Dil To Paagal Hai in 1997.

So, needless to say, Akshay was pleasantly surprised when he receive a call from King Khan himself praising him for his first-rate performance. When quizzed, Akshay was surprised to know that the news had been discovered.

"It was extremely wonderful of Shah Rukh to call. We chatted for a bit and he told me how much he liked the film and the performances. It was a really warm gesture on his part. I have immense respect for him, both as a person and as an actor, and after this gesture that has increased. It is always nice to get feedback, and when it comes from your peers, it's even better. And what better than a compliment from SRK."

Sajid Nadiadwala says he's aware of the 'other' camp liking his film and said, "Akshay told me that Shah Rukh had called him in Dubai and told him that he liked Jaan-E-Mann. It's the first time after many years that they have spoken to each other. After watching the film, Shah Rukh told me that Jaan-E-Mann was a very beautiful film.

He even said that it's the film of the year. For me, that is huge praise. What floored me was when Amitji told me, 'Good that you are giving a chance to new talent and letting them perform. I like the film very much.' Both Shah Rukh and Amitji's compliments meant a lot to me."