The good thing about celebrity weddings is that the media gets something actually report-worthy for a few days, and the audience, especially in an overly-inquisitive country like India, gets something for their tittle-tattle.
Last week, our celeb-obsessed country witnessed the much-awaited marriage of Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, two of the biggest stars of Bollywood. And the marriage, as expected, created much hullabaloo. Much had been written and talked about them in the recent past and there had been a lot of speculation around the date, the venue, and other details of their nuptials. Kareena’s marriage to the 10th Nawab of Pataudi was the talk of the town for quite some time. The media hype was huge and everything was being watched with a keen interest from all parts of the country.
The duo, who started dating in 2007, tied the knot after 5 years of courtship. Saif and Kareena had hinted about their intention to get married earlier this year, after the release of their film Agent Vinod.
For a very long time even before they got married, the actors had maintained that in their minds they had been married forever; the ceremony is a mere formality. However, when the ceremony happened, it happened in a grand style.
Several functions were organized between the 14th and 18th of October – first in Mumbai and then in Delhi.
The 14th Oct sangeet ceremony, held at their Bandra residence, was a private affair. Reportedly, there were just about 60 people, most of whom were either family or close friends. But, when it’s the Kapoor clan’s darling daughter, even a private affair has to be a star-studded event. Celebrities spotted there included Neetu Singh, Manish Malhotra, Sanjay Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Khemu, Karan Johar, and Malaika Arora Khan.
Kareena’s younger cousin Ranbir Kapoor, however, gave the sangeet ceremony a miss and chose to attend Zoya Akthar’s birthday bash on the same day. Kareena looked resplendent in a traditional golden-yellow lehenga, and Saif wore a crisp white kurta pajama for the occasion.
The duo got married on Oct 16th at Saif’s residence in Mumbai. The registered marriage had 3 witnesses—Kareena’s father Randhir Kapoor, her mother Babita, and Saif’s mother Sharmila Tagore. At the time, Kareena was wearing a green salwar-kurta with a red dupatta, and matching red bangles. She left her hair open and was all smiles as she came out with her better half to greet the fans and media. Saif was simply dressed in a grey kurta and white pajamas.
Although the rumors of a ‘nikaah’ had been doing the rounds, veteran designer and Kareena’s close friend, Manish Malhotra clarified that there was only a simple exchange of vows between the couple.
“They just exchanged vows at the Taj Mahal hotel in Colaba. There were no ‘saath pheras’… They did not adhere to any particular style (of wedding),” he told the PTI. Amongst the many people who congratulated the couple for their wedding, the most noticeable was Kareena’s ex-boyfriend Shahid Kapoor, who said, “I wish both of them a very happy married life.”
Controversies at star weddings are always expected. Leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband created a little tumult when he termed the wedlock as “anti-Islam”, complaining that the bride did not convert to Islam before the marriage. There was also a controversy around Sharmila Tagore’s traditional garara, which Kareena was supposed to wear for her wedding. Leading designer Ritu Kumar claimed that she was given the responsibility of restoring Shamila’s outfit, but Manish Malhotra said he was the only one doing Kareena’s clothes.
On October 18th, Saif’s mother, Sharmila Tagore hosted one of the most dazzling parties of the year. Saifeena’s reception took place on Aurangzeb road in Delhi. The venue, an old property of the Pataudis, was decked out like a Royal Durbar. Antique props were used for adding the Royal-touch. A 200 year old carpet, which is apparently part of the heritage of the Pataudi’s, was used to add to the décor. Saif wore an achkan designed by Raghavendra Rathore, and his new bride Kareena donned a traditional sharara.
Kareena’s elder sister Karishma Kapur, and their cousin Ranbir, performed on her popular dance tracks.
Some of the country’s most well-known faces made it to the couple’s Dawat-e-Walima. Famous personalities not only from Bollywood, but also from the world of politics and cricket dropped in to congratulate the newlywed couple. The Prime Minister’s wife Gursharan Kaur, Congress General secretary Rahul Gandhi, Delhi’s Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, BJP’s Arun Jaitley, crickters Kapil Dev and Ajay Jadeja were among those spotted at the event. Nandita Das and Imtiaz Ali were also captured at the Kapoor-Khan milan.
Two of the most-illustrious families of the Indian film industry have been united by the bond, rather the knot, of love. The country can now sleep in peace. Oh wait; they’re already talking prospective grooms for Priyanka Chopra?