People expected Asim Riaz and Mahira Sharma to get along with each other when they entered the "Bigg Boss" house, considering their Jammu and Kashmir connection. Now, after over 100 days of the show, it is clear that they might share their roots but vehemently remain divided by the game.
Jammu-born model Asim has turned out to be the ultimate poster boy on season 13 of the controversial reality show, while Mahira adds to the oomph factor.
Asim got popular first as a "vanilla" boy and then as the angry young man of "Bigg Boss 13". On the other hand, Mahira made headlines for her "maslas" (fights) with the contestants, and her close bond with actor and housemate Paras Chhabra.
They might play a different game, but one can see similarity in the pattern.
Asim, born on 13 July 1993, received his primary education at Delhi Public School in Jammu. He now lives here and has been featured in many TV commercials including Blackberrys, B'lue and Numero Uno. He has an elder brother named Umar Riaz who is a doctor by profession.
Asim started his journey on the show as the "vanilla" boy, flaunting his chiselled body and rapping skills, before gradually morphing into the angry young man of "Bigg Boss" with his constant verbal (and aggressive) spats with the other housemates.
As he entered the show he created a buzz after getting into a fight with Paras. It all started when Mahira ended up calling Asim her "brother", because both of them hail from Jammu and Kashmir, at the launch of the show in September last year.
The other male contestants asked Asim not to let Mahira call him "bhai" because then he could romance her in the show. Paras advised him to channel his anger, and in no time, they got into a heated argument, during which Paras said he would slap Asim.
That set the foundation of his relationship with Mahira, who started her career as a model.
From locking horns over duties to accusing him of disrespecting women to seeking sympathy from audience to instigating fights -- Mahira has levelled many accusations on Asim, and doesn't get along with him.
For the uninitiated, Mahira is also from Jammu and Kashmir. In 2016, she bagged the role of Shilpi in "Y.A.R.O Ka Tashan", and going on to appear in comedy serials like "Partners Trouble Ho Gayi Double" and "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah". She is also known for featuring in romantic drama "Kundali Bhagya" and "Naagin 3". In addition to TV shows, she has also featured in the music videos of many Punjabi songs including "Nikk's relation", "Love you oye", "Lehanga" and "Gal karke".
In fact, when Mahira's mother entered the "Bigg Boss" house as part of a task, she called Asim her son. Still, there's no improvement in Asim and Mahira's bond.
As the show nears its finale, it will be interesting to see if Asim and Mahira's use their connection to get ahead in the game, or still remain foes.