As Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas made headlines by getting engaged, here are a few desi beauties from Bollywood who tied the knot with firangi babus. Sunday Pioneer tells you more about their second innings
Nickyanka tales
Twenty-five-year-old American singer Nick Jonas and Quantico actress Priyanka Chopra were spotted together for the first time at the Met Gala red carpet event in May 2017 where they both were wearing Ralph lauren. It was later that Jonas revealed in an interview that they had met through a mutual friend and Priyanka’s Quantico co-star Graham Rogers in New York.
From watching live Beauty and the Beast concert at the Hollywood Bowl to going on a date at a los Angeles Dodgers game, getting photographed cuddling up on a yacht, cheering and dancing at Nick’s concert in Singapore to flying to attending a pre-wedding party — all this and more confirmed the love in the air for Nickyanka.
As per sources, Jones proposed to Chopra on her 36th birthday celebration on July 18, 2018, in london with a Tiffany & Co engagement ring. In an interview, Jones opened up about wanting to start a family and said: “Having a family of my own is the goal.”
Jones’s parents, Denise and Paul, arrived in Mumbai to meet Priyanka’s family and did the roka and engagement ceremony in traditional style. Jones confirms the engagement with the cutest Instagram caption: “Future Mrs Jonas. My heart. My love.”
The wedding date and venue are yet to be decided by the couple.
Artbound love
It was a fairytale love story for lisa Ray and Jason Dehni, who met for the first time in Canada when she was interviewed by Canadian television news anchor Seamus O’ Regan who is the Honorary Chair of a Toronto-based charity called Artbound of which Jason Dehni is a co-founder.
Through Artbound, lisa met Jason for the first time and he couldn’t help but admire the gutsy and amiable beauty. lisa started volunteering for Artbound and this brought them more closer.
After dating for some time, they decided to get engaged in January 2012. They were on a holiday in the Napa Valley in California when Jason popped the question and lisa said nothing but ‘Yes!’
Their marriage was a fusion of Indian and lebanese traditions but the wedding predominantly had an Indian theme. Since lisa is half Bengali, the date chosen for their wedding was October 20, 2012 which marked the onset of Durga Puja that year. Their wedding took place at Napa Valley which is also where the two of them had got engaged.
The couple now lives in Toronto. lisa is continuing with her endeavour to fight cancer and the couple is hot on philanthropic work.
Despite the various health struggles faced by lisa, Jason has always stood by her side like a strong supporting pillar and that is why she calls him her secret weapon.
Goodenough partners
The love story of Preity Zinta and Gene Goodenough kickstarted when they met in Santa Monica, los Angeles and the two hit it off instantly. Gene, who is currently working in a renewable energy development company in lA, was in the banking industry then.
Grapevine has it that Gene happens to be one of the key eye-witnesses to side with Zinta when the actress lodged a molestation case against her ex Ness Wadia for manhandling her at the Wankhede stadium a couple of years ago. Reportedly, Gene was the one to stop Ness at the time and shield Zinta. While Goodenough was by her side all along, he is said to have been a little reluctant getting involved in legal battles. However, when Zinta flew to lA to convince him, he agreed.
They both started dating each other and after five years and got married in a Hindu wedding ceremony in los Angeles on February 28, 2016.
Partners in crime
It was love at first sight for Celina Jaitley and Peter Haag who were introduced to each other by common friends in a small party in Dubai in 2010. While Peter was dazzled by Celina’s beauty, she was impressed by his impeccable manners and “very kind eyes”. They exchanged numbers and became good friends, and soon were dating each other.
Peter visited India in August 2010 to meet Celina’s parents. One day they decided to go out for an outing to one of their favourite hangouts and this is where Peter proposed to Celina.
She knew it from the beginning that this was the man of her life and therefore affirmatively agreed to his proposal. Both got engaged the next month in a private ceremony at Celina’s residence in Mumbai, in the presence of family and close friends.
As per the sources, Celina conceived while she was engaged with Peter. They finally tied a knot on 23 July 2011 in Austria.
The couple had a court wedding at a 1000-year-old monastery in Austria which had not seen any weddings for a long time.
The couple had the most special moment of their life when Celina gave birth to twin sons Viraaj Haag and Winston Haag in 2012.
Actress Celina Jaitly again conceived and was expecting twins for the second time. On September 10, 2017, she gave birth to a boy and a girl — Arthur Jaitly Haag and Shamsher Jaitly Haag but unfortunately Shamsher succumbed to a serious heart condition.
Despite all the ups and downs, both Jaitley and Haag’s bond remains rock solid.