A galaxy of Bollywood stars descended on Hyderabad for the wedding of the year at Taj Falaknuma Palace. The city’s most premium hotel was decked up like a bride for the marriage of film star Salman Khan’s sister Arpita with aspiring actor Aayush Sharma — a business family scion and grandson of politician Sukh Ram.
Apart from the entire clan of Salman Khan, including father Salim Khan, mother Salma, stepmother and actress of yesteryears Helen, brothers Arbaaz and Sohail and their wives, the who’s who of the Hindi film industry was in attendance, making it one of the most talked about events of the year.
Though President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were also invited, they only sent their greetings and good wishes.
Prominent guests included superstar Amitabh Bachchan and all the reigning Khans, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan, with their families. Saif’s better half Kareena Kapoor, actresses Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone, Arbaaz Khan’s wife Malaika Arora Khan and her sister Amrita Arora added Bollywood-style glamour to the wedding in their glittering designer ensembles.
Twenty-five-year-old Arpita Khan, a designer and an architect by profession, is the adopted daughter of Helen, second wife of Salim Khan. Her elder sister Alvira is married to actor Atul Agnihotri.
Significantly, the wedding has brought together the two biggest feuding super stars of Bollywood Salman and Shah Rukh Khan. Shah Rukh Khan not only attended the wedding along with his family but was also present at the pre-wedding ceremonies in Mumbai over the weekend. “I would have attended even without an invitation as Arpita is like a sister to me”, he said.
Salman and Shah Rukh Khan, who had worked together in a blockbuster Karan Arjun almost two decades ago, had fallen out with each other and their professional rivalry has taken on legendary proportions, with the two super stars almost coming to blows at Katrina Kaif’s birthday party.
However, on the romantically cool and cloudy Tuesday evening, all the bitterness was forgotten as a tastefully decorated historic Falaknuma Palace echoed with music and laughter.
Salman Khan, who booked the entire hotel for the two-day wedding ceremony, had reached the city along with his father, brothers and other family members on Sunday. A special pink coloured pandal was erected on the sprawling green lawns of the hotel for the wedding ceremony.
The guests were treated to delicious Hyderabadi cuisine with dishes like Patthar Ka Gosht, Kache Gosht ki Biryani, Haleem and Bagara Baingan with Khubani Ka meetha and Double Ka meetha for dessert
After the bride and groom tied the knot, singer Mika Singh regaled the guests with his performance. The bidai (farewell) lunch, where the bride will be formally sent off with the groom, will be the highlight of Wednesday’s program at the hotel.
With the wedding in Hyderabad creating a buzz in the city and Salman’s frenzied fans getting excited, the police made elaborate security arrangements around the hotel atop the hill and only the invitees were allowed to get anywhere near the hotel entrance.
Youngest of the siblings, Arpita is Salman Khan’s darling and the actor, known for his love for his clan, gifted his little sister a three BHK apartment on Carter Road in Mumbai, which is rumoured to have cost a whopping Rs 16 crores. A fitting wedding gift for the queen of Salman Khan’s heart.