Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 3 (ANI): Veteran actor Shabana Azmi and lyricist-poet Javed Akhtar hosted their annual Holi celebration on Tuesday, welcoming friends and colleagues from the film industry to their residence in Mumbai.

Continuing their long-standing tradition of celebrating the festival of colours with members of the film fraternity, the couple organised a lively gathering that saw several prominent personalities in attendance.

Several celebs such as Urmila Matondkar, Richa Chadha, Manish Malhotra, Ali Fazal, Divya Dutta, Anjali Anand and Meiyang Chang were spotted playing Holi at Shabana and Javed Akhtar's festive gathering.

The stars also greeted the paps with a splash of Holi colours.

The gathering took place at the residence of Shabana Azmi's late father, noted poet Kaifi Azmi, a venue that has, over the years, become synonymous with the couple's Holi celebrations.

Here are highlights from the annual Holi celebration hosted by Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar.

Holi marks the arrival of spring and the harvest season. The celebration is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology, symbolising the triumph of good over evil. The festival of Holi begins with the ritual of lighting a bonfire, known as Holika Dahan.

The following day marks the more widely celebrated aspect of Holi, when people immerse themselves in joy and togetherness by playing with colours.

This year, the celebration of the 'Festival of Colours' is being observed on two separate days.

While several states in Western India, including Mumbai and Gujarat, have already begun the festivities today, Tuesday, March 3. North India is set to mark its main celebrations tomorrow, Wednesday, March 4. (ANI)