Mumbai (AsiaNews) – Hundreds of people and fans are taking part in ‘parallel’ celebrations across India as Bollywood’s biggest marriage in years reaches its apex. In India’s silver screen capital Mumbai, Aishwarya Rai is wedding Abhishek Bachchan under the watchful eyes of an army of bodyguards. The bride is a former Miss World, whilst the groom is son of actor and producer Amitabh Bachchan.
For Daily India the wedding is right out of a Bollywood movie. The paper reports that in Patna, some residents and stars' ardent fans have gone as far as organise their own 'parallel' nuptials.
With huge posters of Abhishek and Aishwarya playing groom and bride and a car with band in attendance, fans, young and old, danced during a parallel 'baraat' or pre-wedding procession.
Rakesh Kumar Singh, an organiser of the 'poster-wedding' said that despite not being invited to the real ceremony, he had no regrets. On the contrary, he candidly admitted of being delighted to celebrate the occasion.
Outside the Bachchan residence in Mumbai a neighbourhood party started on Wednesday when people began gathering in huge numbers. It is here that the final ceremony joining the two stars in matrimony took place.
The Bachchans guarded their privacy with a small army of some 500 bodyguards keeping onlookers far from a temporary wooden structure built around the house to ensure the family’s privacy.
Only about a hundred, very select guests were invited, including industrialists, cricket stars, actors and movie producers, according to the press.
The Bachchans also asked their neighbours not to let photographers and TV cameras use their roofs to steal pictures from the ceremony.
In spite of all the protective measures, the Indian media have been able to provide 24-hour coverage, which in the best Hindu tradition took place over a three-day period at both the bride’s and the groom’s homes in Mumbai’s beach front area.
On the beach itself sand statues were made showing the two stars surrounded by hearts.
Photos of India’s Romeo and Juliet have also become available online, in one case showing the couple showered in gold.
“An affair to remember” is the title the Hindustan Times gave to a long article that looked at the Ash-Abhi love affair, a moniker that is a not-so-veiled comparison to another famous couple, Hollywood’s Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie).
Many websites have also put melodies from Ash-Abhi's sangeet soiree online.
Last but not least, the fascination that the wedding between India’s ‘most beautiful woman’ and the country’s ‘most eligible bachelor’ has generated more exposure and publicity for the two Bollywood stars and their movies.
Only four days ago the movie Provoked starring Aishwarya Rai had its premiere in Los Angeles and is expected to be a box-office success.
