People spend dozens of crores to stage elaborate marriages. But even those mega matrimonies pale in comparison to movie star weddings. When a film star ties the knot, the proceedings are secretive. Pheras are planned in hushed voices. Garlands are ordered incognito. The common populace and the media are kept at an arm’s length. But when the date finally arrives it explodes in mayhem. A movie star’s wedding becomes the centre of the Universe, albeit for a few hours. There’s certain anticipation around every star shaadi. Most times it’s just as dramatic as celluloid. Almost always it has a happy ending. We bring you unknown and unseen highlights of some of the most memorable star wedding galas of all time.
Virat Anushka Wedding - When Cricket Romanced Bollywood
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli’s wedding was hands down the event of the year. The couple who were dating for a few years got married on December 11, 2017 in a grand private ceremony in Tuscany, Italy. While we have seen Anushka as a bride several times on the silver screen, we just couldn’t take our eyes off her real life bride avatar on her big day. The couple wanted their wedding to be a private affair and that is why they opted for a destination wedding where they celebrated this special moment only with their close family and friends. The couple took to social media after the marriage to make an official announcement where they put up a lovely picture from the wedding along with a caption that read, “Today we have promised each other to be bound in love forever. We are truly blessed to share the news with you. This beautiful day will be made more special with the love and support of our family of fans & well-wishers. Thank you for being such an important part of our journey.” After the wedding, the couple hosted two grand receptions party on their return to India. One was in Delhi, in which their extended family and friends were invited and the other one was held in Mumbai which saw the big wigs from the film industry in attendance.
#ShahidKiShaadi
Wedding date- July 7th 2015
Courting period – 6 months
Though a hush-hush affair in Delhi, Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput’s wedding became a major trend on Twitter with the hashtag Shahid Ki Shaadi. From candid pictures from the ceremonies to Shahid Kapoor’s first selfie with his new bride, the wedding was the talk of the town. The grand reception is scheduled for 12th July in Mumbai with all of tinsel town supposedly in attendance.
Grand affair
Wedding date: November 18, 2014
Salman Khan can do anything when it comes to his family. His sister, Arpita Khan who recently tied the knot to Aayush Sharma had one grand wedding. The Sangeet was one of the biggest moments in the industry. Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan reunited and gave the girl their blessings. Her marriage took place in Hyderabad’s palatial Falaknuma Palace where Bollywood biggies were present. From Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif to Karan Johar, everyone graced the wedding. The entire hotel was booked for two full days for this big fat Indian wedding. Post the extravagant affair, there was also a star studded reception at Taj Lands End where yet again Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan were seen partying together. Her wedding will never be forgotten!
A fairytale novel
Wedding date: October 18, 2014
They say marriages are made in heaven and it was indeed a fairytale wedding for Dia Mirza and beau Sahil Sangha. The two made their relationship official in April 2014 when they got engaged. We hear that Sahil proposed to Dia on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. The lovely couple tied the knot in Delhi this year. The two had a lavish marriage and the who’s who of Bollywood were in attendance.
Royal matrimony
Wedding date: October 16, 2012
Courting period: 5 years
All the break ups and failed marriages aside, the entertainment world had been waiting for Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor to tie the knot. Everyone knew that once the day arrived it would be the most royal affair in a while. So over a period of five days, Saif and Kareena concluded their nuptials. There was a pre-wedding gala in Mumbai. Then was the d-day where Saif and Kareena signed marriage papers in the presence of family members at Saif’s Mumbai residence. This was followed by two mega receptions in Mumbai and Delhi. While the Mumbai event was a star-studded affair, the Delhi reception was an exhibition in grandeur.
Larger-than-life
Wedding date: April 20, 2007
Courting period: 2 years
This was the big bang of Indian shaadis. Despite the kundalis not matching, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai were industrious in seeing the alliance materialise. The Bachchans home, Jalsa, got a fibre glass structure covering the windows on the first floor. Their other home, Prateeksha, was the temporary Rai residence and the venue for the ceremony replete with an air-conditioned mandap. Not just that, there was a filmi twist. As the wedding proceeded a deranged lady called Jahnvi Kapoor slashed her wrists outside and claimed she was dating Abhishek. She disappeared just as quickly as she arrived. But in the process, this became the wedding of the millennium.
Nuptial surprise
Wedding date: March, 1973
Courting period: Unknown
The man who gave birth to the term superstar married a girl, whose first film hadn’t even finished its shooting schedule, almost overnight. That was the Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia alliance. She was 15 years younger while he was on the rebound having split with actress Anju Mahendru after a five-year relationship. Nonetheless under the guidance of Raj Kapoor, they took the wedding rituals at Dimple’s father Chunnibhai Kapadia’s family bungalow in Juhu. This was followed by a grand reception at Hotel Horizon in Mumbai. After all it was the one and only superstar getting married. The stars, the media and the onlookers arrived on scene with a gusto never seen before. For most people the marriage was a bigger event than any film premiere ever seen before.
Numero uno nikah
Wedding date: October 11, 1966
Courting period: Unknown
Pages of notoriety in the history books will tell you that he had two failed relationships and she too was in an ill-fated rendezvous with a married man. But regardless of what happened before their nikah, Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu are the perfect example of ageless love. Back in 1966, when Dilip saab and Saira took their vows, the news caught the nation’s imagination. So much so that even the kazi (a Muslim judge/scholar who conducts the wedding) Attauddin Murghay was interviewed and labelled a star.
Sporting affair
Wedding date: December 27, 1969
Courting period: 4 years
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi had to court Sharmila Tagore for four years with countless red roses to win her affections. But as usual there was opposition from both families. Sharmila’s parents didn’t like the idea of their darling daughter getting married to a Nawab, while Mansoor’s parents weren’t happy that their son was marrying a sex symbol. It all concluded with a royal nikah. Sharmila, of course, had to convert to Islam and she consequently quit movies for a while.
Showcase shaadi
Wedding date: January 24, 1980
Courting period: 8 years
Many like to believe this was the most lavish wedding ever hosted by the Kapoor khandaan. Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh got married at the RK House in Mumbai. The sangeet and other celebrations were held at the house. The wedding ceremony and reception was at the Golf course and nearby RK Studios respectively. A total of 20 days were spent in all the festivities. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan got his first performance in India at the wedding. Both Rishi and Neetu fainted on the wedding evening from exhaustion. Beat that!
Superstar alliance
Wedding date: June 3, 1973
Courting period: 3 years
The most low key film wedding ever saw Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri marry with five baraatis and some family members. The wedding was a traditional Bengali one. The first stage was the var-puja, which involved Jaya’s father coming to Amitabh’s residence with gifts. Harivansh Rai Bachchan (Amitabh’s father) then did the same for the bride. Following that the Bachchans assembled their close friends the Rajans, Sanjay Gandhi and a few other friends for the baraat. Neighbours were told that Amitabh and the car were decked up because he was rehearsing for a film. The ceremonies took place in Skylark Building, Malabar Hill, Mumbai which was the residence of a friend of the Bhaduris.
Couple’s cruise
Wedding date: January 17, 2001
Courting period: 4 years
Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna tied the knot in a hush hush ceremony in Mumbai. Their gala engagement was held a month before with almost every known name in B-town in attendance. They were to be married in February but things changed when Twinkle accompanied Akshay on a cruise liner while he was shooting for Ajnabi. They came back from the trip and decided to tie the knot instantly. Reportedly they had two dates January 17 and another in July 2001. They chose January because in the next few months Akshay was to fly to Malaysia and Twinkle had a theatre tour in the US. The hurried wedding was held on the terrace of a family friend of the Khannas.
Perfect partners
Wedding date: October 25, 1991
Courting period: 6 years
Much before Shah Rukh Khan became synonymous with super stardom; he tied the knot with his sweetheart Gauri Chhibber. In their courting period SRK had to masquerade as a Hindu boy in front of Gauri’s parents. But after much ado, the couple convinced Gauri’s parents and registered a court marriage in the summer of 1991. This was followed by two more traditional marriage ceremonies, one Hindu and one Muslim, all of which took place in Delhi.
Made in heaven
Wedding date: February 24, 1999
Courting period: 5 years
Now B-town’s prime example of a happily-married couple, Ajay Devgn and Kajol were once called by the media an “unlikely pair”. But against all odds, the two actors got married in a traditional Maharashtrian style ceremony at the Devgn house. Reportedly, a newspaper revealed where Ajay and Kajol would wed, so at the 11th hour the proceedings shifted from a Gurudwara in Andheri to their residence. The quiet wedding was attended by close friends and followed by a dinner party.
Westside wedding
Wedding date: February 16, 2011
Courting period: 2 years
In another sports and entertainment alliance, Lara Dutta tied the knot with tennis ace Mahesh Bhupati. The couple had a private civil wedding in Bandra on February 16 and then flew instantly to Goa. There was a sangeet ceremony on February 18 at a beach resort on Candolim beach, Goa. Lara wanted her sangeet to be a blend of Goa and the West. On February 20, the couple had a Christian-style wedding at the Taj Aguada. The setting was Victorian and on a hilltop which overlooked the ocean. The rings were exchanged at the exotic altar as 200 guests looked on.
Soulmate search
Wedding date: February 7, 2008
Courting period: 2 years
Sanjay Dutt has always been the underdog but he has always persevered and come out on top. When he finally solemnised his marriage with Manyataa almost everyone rooted for him. All of this was after Sanju Baba lost first wife Richa to cancer and went through a failed marriage with model Rhea Pillai. But the background just made the event a happier occasion. He tied the knot in a private ceremony at the Taj Exotica in Goa and later registered nuptials according to the Hindu Marriage Act in Mumbai.
The icing on the cake – Dutt gifted his new bride Manyata a diamond ring worth 40 lakhs.
Maratha Magic
Wedding date: February 4, 2012
Courting period: 8 years
Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza tied the knot in a grand Maharashtrian wedding in a five-star hotel. The electric atmosphere of the night was complimented by a long line of laavni dancers dressed in colourful attire. They ushered the baraat into the venue as traditional musicians played the flute and the nagada. After the much sho-sha Riteish and Genelia solemnised their wedding with the Catholic rituals at a local church.
Young and happening
Wedding date: January 10, 2011
Courting period: 10 years
Like his more popular uncle Aamir Khan, Imran tied the knot with long-time girlfriend Avantika Malik in a private ceremony at Aamir’s Pali Hill bungalow in Mumbai. The couple got engaged on January 16 a year ago in a farmhouse owned by Avantika’s family in Karjat. Nonetheless their wedding was preceded by a sangeet ceremony held a day before. Many film celebs attended and danced into the wee hours. One of the highlights of the wedding evening was to see Aamir’s entire family, including ex-wife Reena sitting on the red carpet steps and enjoying the night. Right at the end, Imran drove Avantika to his home in a black Porsche. Now that’s classy!
Southern spice
Wedding date: December 14, 2012
Courting period: 3 years
If showbiz weddings have taught us one thing, it is to expect the extraordinary. So Vidya Balan and Siddharth Roy Kapur tied the knot in a private affair in Mumbai. It was a traditional Tamil wedding with the complete rites and rituals. This was preceded by a Punjabi-style sangeet on December 11. And then the happy couple moved into their posh 14 crores suburban house. Now that’s a happy ending!
Happily ever after
Wedding date: November 22, 2009
Courting period: 2 years
Shilpa Shetty’s and Raj Kundra’s wedding was a private affair held at businesswoman Kiran Bawa’s villa in Khandala. The media was asked to keep a distance. The marriage combined the rituals of the Mangalorean bride and the Punjabi groom with the vows being exchanged according to South Indian tradition while pre-wedding rituals like mehndi and sangeet conducted as per Punjabi tradition. A gorgeous-looking Shilpa Shetty was matched glam to glam by Kundra who arrived in great style in a horse drawn chariot. Big fat Indian wedding seemed like an understatement.
Wedlock wows
Wedding date: May 26, 1953
Courting period: 3 years
Guru Dutt first met Geeta Roy at Dev Anand’s party. Back then she was a celebrated playback singer and he was a struggler. They were engaged in a matter of months but didn’t marry because Geeta’s parents didn’t want the only breadwinner to leave the house. After much ado, they married in a traditional Bengali wedding. It was performed in Geeta’s parents’ home in Mumbai. The groom was given a ceremonial bath. The saptapadi (pheras in a Bengali wedding) ceremony took place late that night.
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