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.

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.

Royal matrimony

Wedding date: October 16, 2012

Courting period: 5 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.

Larger-than-life

Wedding date: April 20, 2007

Courting period: 2 years

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.

Nuptial surprise

Wedding date: March, 1973

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.

Numero uno nikah

Wedding date: October 11, 1966

Courting period: Unknown

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.

Wedlock wows

Wedding date: May 26, 1953

Courting period: 3 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.

Sporting affair

Wedding date: December 27, 1969

Courting period: 4 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!

Showcase shaadi

Wedding date: January 24, 1980

Courting period: 8 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.

Superstar alliance

Wedding date: June 3, 1973

Courting period: 3 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.

Couple’s cruise

Wedding date: January 17, 2001

Courting period: 4 years

Karisma Kapoor had barely recovered from her split with Abhishek Bachchan when businessman Sanjay Kapur swept her off her feet. In typical Kapoor khandaan tradition, Karisma was married at the home of her grandfather (the late Raj Kapoor) RK Cottage. The families opted for an hour-long Sikh wedding ceremony. Karisma’s wedding was kept as low profile as possible, but when a Kapoor is getting married that’s next to impossible. There was a sea of people, media and policemen outside. The house inside was decorated with flowers. The garden that surrounded the house had been turned into a Sheesh Mahal that could accommodate 600 guests.

Punjabi power

Wedding date: September 29, 2003

Courting period: 7 months

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.

Perfect partners

Wedding date: October 25, 1991

Courting period: 6 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.

Made in heaven

Wedding date: February 24, 1999

Courting period: 5 years

Wedding Of The Year in 2000. Hrithik Roshan tied the knot with Sussanne Khan in a special ceremony held at Sussanne’s father Sanjay Khan’s luxury spa, Golden Palms, near Bangalore. The pool in Golden Palms has something like an island at its centre. There’s a bridge extending from there to the edge of the pool. The bridge acted as the aisle, the island was the altar. The Hindu boy married the Muslim girl in a Christian wedding. As Hrithik once exclaimed, “It was so special, so different!”

Perfect match

Wedding date: December 20, 2000

Courting period: 4 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.

Westside wedding

Wedding date: February 16, 2011

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.

Soulmate search

Wedding date: February 7, 2008

Courting period: 2 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.

Maratha Magic

Wedding date: February 4, 2012

Courting period: 8 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!

Young and happening

Wedding date: January 10, 2011

Courting period: 10 years

f 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!

Southern spice

Wedding date: December 14, 2012

Courting period: 3 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.

Happily ever after

Wedding date: November 22, 2009

Courting period: 2 years