Sigh ... do you think this reduces my shot with her?

I thought she looked really beautiful here.http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2007/apr/23sld4.htm.

so what if Hrithik kissed her in Dhoom?

you like my costume?, which I think is kinda over the top and fugly, I wish I don't have to wear it again...

I see a dot and a feather

I thought you might also yenjoy deciding what on earth Big B’s little B was thinking at this moment.

"Is the time right for me to tell her I'm not the Abhi that founded Speia Mutiny?"

is she a virgin?

What're you doing, you slimy little paparazzi? Can't you see she's mine now, all mine, all the time? If you even look at her funny, I'll have my goons the Black Cats beat you to a pulp! Link

Oh my God, what have I done?

M. Nam

Yeah... anybody who hasn't read the Perez Hilton comments section, don't bother. It's really nasty.

SM would have been derelict in its duties if it did not cover THE ROYAL WEDDING. Thanks for coming through as usual.

Whenever I see two famous movie stars unite in holy matrimony, I always suspect there is an arranged-marriage, career enhancing, self-promotion at work. On the other hand, it could be true love.

"Should I shave before hitting the bed?"

"Is this look too pensive for Patiala?"

"I can't believe I had to miss the DC meetup for this."

“that extra cup of chai was not a good idea, dam you tasty gorgeous desi masala tea!!”

And someone actually leaked private pictures from the Mehendi!

More pics here and here....I thought she looked lovely...over the top but hello this is the Bacchan Rai wedding I'm not surprised :-)

its been really difficult reading the perez hilton blog last night and then amardeep's post on the professor this morning. seesh its just everywhere you look. was it always like this and i just never saw it? or has 9/11 done it?

I got mo' bling that your average joe gangsta!

This thing on my head is giving me a hunched back.

"I wonder if she can support her neck in that."

Anna, where did you find that picture? I've seen a bunch but haven't seen that one online.

i was rather disappointed that she looked better on all the days surrounding the wedding day, except on the wedding day. i know she's south indian and all [and so am i] but this photo gave me a very flashack to the 1980s and sridevi in some OTT outfit and, as we say in the south, a (blinged out) 'head set.' though, i guess it's not just her - this whole photo sort of hurts my eyes. though i want abhishek's chunky emerald necklace!

[Aishwarya] Oh Abhi. Lets count again how many successful movies I have been in and how many successful movies you have been in.

[Abhishek] I want my mommy!!

And.. here!

Aww... I'm so happy for them. =)

And regarding Perez Hilton's blog comments...meh, people post the most racists things in there about anyone. I wouldn't take it seriously at all...heck, if you click on the post about Suri Cruise they're all talking about what an ugly baby she is.

They don't discriminate on the hate.

Well done, Manju, both times!

Curiosity gets the better of me, and, clothing and massive jewels aside, I'd love to know who broke the news to Ash about the suicide attempt girl who alleged she'd had an ongoing affair with Abhi (the non-SM one). I keep picturing a Katherine Hepburn movie where everyone in the household keeps trying to hide the morning newspapers from her.

So is she now Aishwarya Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Rai Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Rai or just plain ol' Aishwarya Rai?

This wedding was brought to you by George Lucas. I kid I kid but that get up she got on is wild.

Eyes down. Don't smile. Indian bride never smiles. You'll ruin the bloody video.

Junior B: Did she find out that this outfit is stolen from Umrao Jaan?

(I love Abhishek, but he disapoointed me with the outfit. What's with Aishwarya Rai's head jewelry? Looks like Sridevi's jewelry from Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari. Not good.)

And now, ladies and gentleman, can we all proceed to the ballroom for the dance.

Anna - liked your name for the .jpg - "someone gonna get hurt real bad" ! :)
(with apologies to Russell Peters' dad and all that...)

[Abhishek looking at Aishwarya's mom's smug smile] Oh God what have I done?

I'm sorry to go off topic.

But in the NY Times yesterday, in the wedding section there was story about the wedding of Ms.Ashley Bell and Ms.Simiran Singh, I hope one of the bloggers here could start a post about this special"sikh" wedding between Ms.Bell and Ms.Singh

I'm still in shock they went thru this.. I didn't think they'd even make it to the wedding day.

BTW, I know they steal the groom's shoes..but did someone steal his razor or something? For one day in your life, why can't you shave??

Abhishek is looking like that because he just thought he'd spotted Gurinder Chadha in the audience.

i didn't really like this gold number she wore, but i loved her in the red sari she wore to temple. she looked like that traditional south indian bride, but somehow much more relaxed and less made up than she usually does.

but did someone steal his razor or something? For one day in your life, why can't you shave??

He looks smart. I'm going with stubble at my wedding too, whenever that is.

Why do they both look so grim in all the pictures that have been published? They actually look miserable.
Wish them the best.

I read the Perez site - disgusting....

[lil B] Wait, who invited Salman?

I dig their outfits, but they look like they're about to go in front of the camera on a period piece, like Mughal e Azam the Sequel or something.

Ok not mughal e azam. But a period piece.

Wow. All their jewelry looks like it's on loan from some Bollywood period production. The tacky.

I dig their outfits, but they look like they're about to go in front of the camera on a period piece, like Mughal e Azam the Sequel or something.

The costume looks "ok" for an Indian wedding...nothing too bizzare.

*Ok i got time..maybe i can come up with something funny to say about the Painting and win whatever abhi promised..i said abhi..ha ha

*I better get some azz tonite,i can believe i fell for the i need to get married to do it routine

*I wonder what Anna from SM is doing right now..

*not gay..not gay..i like woman..not gay..i like vagina..eww i said vaginaWhat ..

*What the hell did she mean all u men want me to do that..

*Jeez how did that song go..i want pre-nup,i want pre-nup

*What does that poster salman and vivek are holding say..She got What??

"Hmm...France or Switzerland for the honeymoon...and will we dance in the Alps?"

"Must...not...cry more than her...remember...she's leaving her parents too"

Time to let go of that sari chhedho (as we say in Gujarati) Abhishek ;-)

The comments on the Perez site were hilarious! The Anonymity of the Internet certainly lets ppl blow off steam

"Do I get my own wax statue too now?"

“I bet those damn Mutineers will be dissecting the crap out of this tomorrow. And I can't even respond after they banned me on Shilpa Shetty thread. How'd they know it was me when I kept changing handles? Maybe I can get Daddy to pull some strings over at Newsweek again.”

I wonder where dad keeps his vaigra

"I knew it - I should have shaved. My unshaven look is far too pensive, and the blogs and news reports will be abuzz trying to gauge my thoughts."

teri bindia re...aaye hai

If anything, this event -- which has been billed by fans as the most fabulous B-wood A-list marriage of the decade -- has turned out to be kind of a dud. Nothing interesting happened whatsoever. It's as if the participants are sort of oddly pretending they aren't actually being watched by 1 billion people.

I kind of preferred the over-the-top, multi-week, paparazz-erific insanity of Vikram Chatwal's wedding (Manmohan Singh! Bill Clinton! etc!) to this quiet little affair. At least with Chatwal & co., there wasn't this pretense of humility.

Aish is dressed like a typical bunt bride. The look is supposed to be very Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari. I suppose I've been attending too many Indian weddings in the US, because her jewelry does *not* look over the top at all. :-)

It's not over the top. It's a) an Indian Hindu wedding, and b) the wedding of a famous -- and very glamourous -- couple. As for the period jewelry, don't y'all know of Western brides in Christian weddings who prefer to wear their great-great grandmother's so-and-so particular type of dress or jewelry or somesuch for their wedding? And celebrity couples in the West theme their wedding ceremonies all the time. This is no big deal. I neither like Ash nor Abhi very much, but I think they both look fine here. In fact, given that Indian brides usually look like they've just been dealt their death sentence at their weddings, Ash actually looks very lovely.

"Where's the buffet?"

Maybe my unshaven look will become famous in phoren like Aish's lashes

Sigh. Despite the dire warnings, I had to see the Perez Hilton post/comments for myself.

Sigh.

At least with Chatwal & co., there wasn't this pretense of humility.

It's been noted many times in previous articles that Abhi-Aish were planning a small wedding intentionally due to Amitabh's mother being in the hospital. Unlike the Chatwal's and the Nayar's, I don't believe this couple ever went out of their way to talk about how great their wedding would be. I don't think you can hold them accountable for what fans wanted to believe.

Who says they have to throw an expensive over-the-top wedding just because a billion people are watching? I'm sure a large part of their lives are dictated by the fans and the media - it's nice to know that they had the wedding on their own terms.

i'm glad they went semi-low key with the entire event.. i think they kept it simple/traditional/very bachchan of them.. aish is supposed to be quite a nice 'down to earth' person, from those people i know who know her personally... i'm happy for the bachchan clan.. she is better than that karishma kapoor gal ;)... better for their 'khandan'...

Doesnt it look like Abhishek is wearing more eye makeup than his Loreal spokes-wife?

“abhi my son, why did you not shave when I asked you too,

I do not care if you are in the middle of getting married,

why did you disobey me.

Abhishek!!!, you are going down the right road if you want a thum-ma-cho and my chumpul up your ass!!”

It's not over the top. It's a) an Indian Hindu wedding, and b) the wedding of a famous -- and very glamourous -- couple

Most Indian Hindu weddings are not over the top, but I'll concede on the celebrity thing. Gotta keep the masses happy by having as big a tamasha as possible.

She looks beautiful.

they aight.

"Bakhi duniya ke pass gaddi hoga, bungla hogao, Oscar bhi hoga..magar mere pass Rai hai!"

can someone puh-leaze tell me how to see the perez hilton comments (just want to see what the fuss is about), went to the website and nothing there under the tirupati pics.............

hema:

Most Indian Hindu weddings are not over the top, but I'll concede on the celebrity thing. Gotta keep the masses happy by having as big a tamasha as possible.

Their dresses and jewelery are not over the top...it's the norm. No tamasha.

Rather than the big wedding and tamasha, in Aish's place I too would have opted for the necklaces she is wearing...Those are polkis (uncut diamonds) people!!! Check out the size of the stones!!! Excuse me while I wipe the drool off the floor.

Fine, where else would one wear them besides your own wedding but what the hey. Can you imagine owning those...(please, please don't lecture me about blood diamonds...my husband thinks I'm sick to love diamonds so much. I'm a lefty in every other way, I promise.)

sp

Their dresses and jewelery are not over the top...it's the norm. No tamasha.

Her headgear is definitely over the top, at least by usual South Indian wedding standards. Dude, I've been through the traditional Indian wedding as the bride, and I can guarantee my wedding did not feature jewelry that looks like it came off the set of Pataal Bhairavi.

The thing about Abhishek's eye makeup if he has any on...it is traditional for Punjabi grooms to have surma (kajal) applied by their sisters just before getting on the horse. (The sisters then get whacking presents from the parents). Amitabh's mom is a Sikh...I also noticed that Abhishek had mehendi on his hands, which again is a very Punjabi custom. Some of my male cousins have objected to this very cool ritual during the sangeet (the night before the wedding) so we had no alternative to be get them sodding drunk and then applied gobs of mehendi to the hands and feet.

sp

never mind (not like anyone actually answered...thanks...) saw the perez hilton comments, looks like he put some up himself to start some controversy. and yes - the hate doesn't discriminate, everyone gets shit on his site.

They actually look miserable.

The misconception is understandable. However, let me point out what is really happening to clear up the confusion:

Abhishek, in his infinite power (akin to Jack Bauer), and in an effort to abate any concern Aishwariya has regarding his palling inadequacy compared to John Abraham, has willed his beard to grow at an unfathomable rate, as a show of unrivaled bravado and machismo. About 1 second after this picture was taken, Abhi's beard actually elongated further, in all its glory, stopping only when it touched the ground.

One second prior to this bewildering show of potency, Aishwariya, in her ungraspable, immutable glory (akin to that of Chuck Norris) actually forsees Abhi's pompous attempt at fighting a losing battle with his insecurities (e.g. his severe defeciencies when pitted side-by-side with John Abraham, most notably his inability to cuddle with women due to the permanent shadow cast on his face by the Gods...what us humans refer to as a 'beard'), and is staring at the ground, waiting for Abhi's so-called spectacle to occur so that she can chastise Abhi for not accepting the fact that if Bipasha was not in the picture, John Abraham would be the lucky one and not him.

So you see, they really are not looking miserable. Instead, they are merely fighting battles on a supernatural plane. That's not the main point though. The kicker...wait for it now...is that this wedding really didn't have to happen.

Let me explain further. Chuck Norris and Jack Bauer were both bored out of their f'in minds a couple of months ago and decided that SM readers needed to realize the importance of Chuck Norris and Jack Bauer in the bigger scheme of things...just for shits-and-giggles. Thus, Norris actually became Aishwariya, Bauer became Abhi (Bauer obviously lost the 'paper, rock, scissors' game...obviously), and in their new identities, proceed to profess their undying love for each other and make wedding a reality....JUST to have this particular picture brought forth to the masses, and to have anna post it, with the flow of follow-up posts, JUST to have this particular post materialize for all SM readers to see.

(cue the cosmological-electronic-'I CAN SEE THE LIGHT!!'-music) Now that everyone has realized the power of Chuck Norris and Jack Bauer, the world will return to normal, with Aishwariya and Abhishek married, but oddly unsure as to how and why they ended up together.

And, after I hit the "post" button, I will have no idea that I was such an important messenger....the baffling and boundless powers of Chuck Norris and Jack Bauer...WOW.

hema:

Her headgear is definitely over the top, at least by usual South Indian wedding standards. Dude, I've been through the traditional Indian wedding as the bride, and I can guarantee my wedding did not feature jewelry that looks like it came off the set of Pataal Bhairavi.

These days, brides in India usually deck up a lot of artificial jewelery...sometimes more than what Aish is adorning in these pics. I've been to hundreds of weddings in India and have seen the whole spectrum too :)

I am sorry, I cant join in the interest and positive comments here. Actually, I am sickened by the formality and the ostentation of these folks. Both of the individuals are educated and successful individuals yet both subscribe to what seems to be the narrowest and most backward looking traditions from our culture. For gods sakes, Amitabh father was a poet belonging to the "progressive" naturalist hindi tradition !

First, we had this gibberish about manglik, now we have this completely formal wedding. Not a single piece of personal involvement, not a whit of concern for the disadvantaged, nothing. Of course, it is their right to be as retroa s they want to be - sure, Aishwaray could be weighed down in 10 tons of gold and they could burn 100000 kilos of ghee as part of a yagna - its their right, and its my right to call it a shameful backward looking spectacle.

First, we had this gibberish about manglik, now we have this completely formal wedding. Not a single piece of personal involvement, not a whit of concern for the disadvantaged, nothing. Of course, it is their right to be as retroa s they want to be - sure, Aishwaray could be weighed down in 10 tons of gold and they could burn 100000 kilos of ghee as part of a yagna - its their right, and its my right to call it a shameful backward looking spectacle.

Al beruni - I second that portion of your comment!! I'm going through my own wedding in Nov, and have tried to incorporate some charity work or personal touches to our wedding...but it seems my relative just ignore everything and would rather spend loads of money on useless things (i.e., gifts for my groom's family, already obese people getting more obese). Eh!!

*blows rasberry at Al beruni the party pooper*

"Confound it woman, you will put down the Gameboy AT ONCE, or I'm asking for a dowry!"

Both of them look highly uncomfortable.. what with the head gear and massive amounts of jewels...

But what Abhishekjee might be thinking:
"How much longer is this going to take?"

Abhi "Thats right...I'm the pimp"
Ash "I can't believe I agreed to wear this!"

His face is saying just one thing: Is that Priyanka Chopra?

And now, ladies and gentleman, can we all proceed to the ballroom for the dance.

god that blog is going crazy with the racist comments...

Abhishek hasn't looked at Aish, or vice versa, in a single photo I've seen. No adoring looks, no teasing glances, not even a vaguely 'how you holding up?' sort of look. Ever. They look totally disconnected.

Abhishek hasn't looked at Aish, or vice versa, in a single photo I've seen. No adoring looks, no teasing glances, not even a vaguely 'how you holding up?' sort of look. Ever. They look totally disconnected.

That is just the protocol during traditional Indian weddings - in India.

It does not neccessarily reflect the feelings of the couple.

Most, not all, but most (excepting Punjabi weddings) that I have attended in India have the same protocol during photo-shoots of the couple and their families.

best wishes to the new couple huh

small town managalore girl has made karnataka proud in many ways :-)

I do think the jewelry is over the top, but it's okay, you can be over the top at your wedding if you want. However, did they have to sit on that gold throne that looks like it was recycled from the set of a bad 80s Doordarshan historical/religious drama?

I guess this means that she properly divorced that banana tree, her first lawful husband. :)

Question: did the "renowned vedic brahmin" who demanded/recommended this silly ritual, also demand that she consummate that marriage in some kinky fashion? I wouldn't be at all surprised...

I agree Chand Bibi - none of the shots with Abhishek and Ash show them smiling together or "in love." She had that with Vivek Oberoi. I'm not just talking about the wedding photos but all photos of them in public in general. Probably Mommy and Daddy Bachchan forced Abhi to marry Ash.

"Shit. Tonight she's gonna find out I really am Little B."

i still say, it's not really a wedding till the brown man sings of Massachusets and Spanish Eyes.

During her Oprah interview Aish said Indian women incorporate yoga-asanas with sex.

How true is that - and maybe that's what he's thinking about?

This is whats wrong with indian women.
They'll listen to mommy dearest and marry "into a family" instead of falling in love and doing what their heart desires.
Sure, she'll have a respectable, guarded future ahead, but is it worth it?
You have one life to live.

Abhi is fugly. I hope he has the funny or the intelligent thing going for him.

Aish looks beautiful. Abhi looks okay. Have you guys been to the Rediff forums. People are just trashing them left to right. Some are actually funny (lol). As far as Perez Hilton, it's just sad that there is soooooooo much racism in this country. But even before this, TMZ had stories on Anand Jon, Sanjaya, Shilpa Shetty and Liz Hurley. The amount of filth and hatred that people were writing about Indians just made me sick to my stomach. Makes me wanna go back to the motherland!!!!

Little B "When she said she liked SM I thought she was talking about something else"
Aish "I can't believe I thought you were that other Abhi. I feel so duped."

Abhishek hasn't looked at Aish, or vice versa, in a single photo I've seen. No adoring looks, no teasing glances, not even a vaguely 'how you holding up?' sort of look. Ever. They look totally disconnected.

That is just the protocol during traditional Indian weddings - in India.

Actually, Not. I mean, if you are going throught the torture of an Indian wedding, you would atelast WANT some support, esp from the guy you are supposed to be in love with. In any case, the other big Indian Star Wedding - the Surya-Jyotika affair down south was extremely charming, both looking happy and in love. Not like this! TMBWITW probably looks happier during the wedding scenes in her movies.

But the next day, at Tirupati, he was holding her hand and both looked happy and relaxed.

Well I hope he was thinking "why the f*** did I agree to be dressed up in this 19th century raja of Patiala do?" I mean seriously, the headpiece and jewellry? The feathers? All grooms look ridiculous with their sehras but this was just waaaaaay over the top. And he could have had any outfit, anything he wanted!

I agree with whoever said Aishwarya looks a bit Sridevi-ish in that one. Very much the jeweller's shop window, but if that's the traditional Bunt look, more power to her, and given the way the Bachchans seem to have taken over every aspect of organising the wedding, I'm glad she stood up for her own customs.

Oh, and I thought Aishwarya looked really beautiful in the Tirupati pics the next day, in the red sari and sindoor.

This is whats wrong with indian women. They'll listen to mommy dearest and marry "into a family" instead of falling in love and doing what their heart desires. Sure, she'll have a respectable, guarded future ahead, but is it worth it? You have one life to live.

PUH-lease, this is just the best career move for aishwarya and she knows it. she don't need mommy to tell her that. this is what is wrong not with indian women, but what you think of them. they are equally capable of getting what they want while totally appearing to toe the line of the mommies, in-laws or husbands. btw, enough WASP american women marry rich boring guys for a "respectable guarded" future too.

Al beruni :

First, we had this gibberish about manglik, now we have this completely formal wedding. Not a single piece of personal involvement, not a whit of concern for the disadvantaged, nothing. Of course, it is their right to be as retroa s they want to be - sure, Aishwaray could be weighed down in 10 tons of gold and they could burn 100000 kilos of ghee as part of a yagna - its their right, and its my right to call it a shameful backward looking spectacle.

Totally agree with you. Add to it 51 lakhs donation to temples, flying in private jets to Tirupathi, getting married to a tree (did this really happen ??)

Abhishek: "Say it one more time sugar"
Aishwarya: "Sigh, for the millionth time, you are way bigger than Salman Khan".

Manju on April 23, 2007 10:17 PM · "Shit. Tonight she's gonna find out I really am Little B."

Best.Comment.EVER.

I'm cracking up!

Abhi: " Ohhhh Aishwaryaaaaa/ I'm gonna marry ya / 'Cos I like ya/ We'll buy furniture from... Ikea/ Go on holiday to... Korea/ And drink.. sangria".
Aish: "Honey bun, I know you're granddad was a poet and all, but that stopped being cute around the 24th verse. Now shut up and let me watch my stories."
Abhi: "Yes, dear."

Due to a one-eyed mahout and his problems with depth perception, Aishwarya embarrassingly approaches the wedding canopy perching atop the world's smallest elephant.

During her Oprah interview Aish said Indian women incorporate yoga-asanas with sex. How true is that - and maybe that's what he's thinking about?
Doesn't everybody combine yogasanas with sex? Especially after the fifth vodka. It is absolut-ly true.

Taj UK, these are great. Loved your captions for the previous photo. Keep 'em comin', y'all.

Why do people want them to look all happy and smiles? It would look strange at an Indian wedding. Though when I was a young kid I did wonder why my dad looked so serious and my mom looked so dazed in their wedding pics...later I came to understand it's part of the culture and tied in to the significance of what marriage means to all concerned. The key difference here is that this is a LOVE marriage, so I guess one could argue that there's no reason to continue the pretense of being so upset (because in a traditional arranged marriage the bride really was leaving her parents and moving in to a new home with complete strangers...which is not the case with Aishwarya). I am surprised that this particular couple is continuing this 'tradition'. Probably they're doing it because they would get a lot of criticism from the Indian public if Aish was giggling and smiling the whole time. Anyway, as others have mentioned, they've continued every other major and minor tradition possible anyway, so why not this.

I know, I know, the 'love marriage' aspect of this is debatable. But it's certainly not an arranged marriage in the traditional sense.

I agree with some of the comments on here - they almost seem like they are being forced to go through all this.
And what's up with shitty beard..Yuck.

Abhishek hasn't looked at Aish, or vice versa, in a single photo I've seen. No adoring looks, no teasing glances, not even a vaguely 'how you holding up?' sort of look. Ever. They look totally disconnected.

That is just the protocol during traditional Indian weddings - in India.

Actually, Not. I mean, if you are going throught the torture of an Indian wedding, you would atelast WANT some support, esp from the guy you are supposed to be in love with. In any case, the other big Indian Star Wedding - the Surya-Jyotika affair down south was extremely charming, both looking happy and in love. Not like this! TMBWITW probably looks happier during the wedding scenes in her movies.

Actually, yes. The protocol during trad indian weddings in India is to carry oneself in an extremely demure way -- no smiling.

At all of the small town and village weddings I attended the bride and groom never touched, smiled at each other or danced with each other. It's just not protocol (lajja bhushana stri). The exceptions I've seen to this are "modern style" metro weddings.

Support from "one's guy" who the bride is "supposed to be in love with" just does not factor in -- or at least the outward show of such support and lovey dovey feelings does not factor in.

Of course, being that these two are modern, famous, glamourous Bollywood stars, one would expect smiles and lovey dovey behaviour.

But seeing that pic above just reminded me of the many, many Indian weddings I've attended as well as the many photos of Indian weddings I have seen.

Even pictures of couples from India who have been married for years show the couple very stand-offish from one another -- no arms around each other, no smiles, no hand-holding and no connectedness.

Grandparents pics anyone?

Adding to #96, it is a weird coincidence, but that star wedding had some similarities with this one.

1. Jilted/angry/deranged fan creating a scene, in this case, by calling a political party's office and telling them that the star was harboring terrorists who are planning on setting off a series of bombs.

2. Leaked private pictures!

But the similarities end there. The press was invited to the wedding reception and the two have been 'together' for 5 years now and it is the first relationship for both of them! Surya's father, a yesteryear leading man himself was apparently opposed to the romance till a few months ago.

Interesting point, Amardeep. One of the reasons the marriage is not quite as ostentatious, over-the-top and hyper-expensive as one might expect is, I think, in part due to the progressive values that the Bachchans subscribe to, and also in part due to their concern about what ostentation may convey.

This goes back to the values of many of the progressive, Independence-era Indians, including Nehru and Gandhi, who did not fail to notice that a child's wedding in India would be so expensive that it would often wipe out the savings of many a poor farmer or rural worker. From Kipling's Kim :

'Thy cousin's younger brother owes my father's cousin something yet on his daughter's marriage-feast,' said the woman crisply. 'Let him put their food to that account. The yogi will beg, I doubt not.'

I know you can argue for it as an "investment", but the bottomline is that it ain't. This was a serious social problem that the nationalists called to attention several times in their writings and not the least, by organizing their own children's wedding simply. I am pretty sure it was something that did not fail to come to the attention of Harivansh Rai Bachchan. It is just Enlightenment values all over again.

Amitabh raises an interesting point. I think that this tradition has counterparts in other cultures, as for instance, the tradition of "the demure bride". I think Aishwarya quite adequately conveyed it.

aishwarya looks lovely (except for the throne behind them which detracts from the couple) and even better in the tirupati pictures. there was a photo of her father arriving for the wedding, and he was dressed very simply in a plain cream kurta. unless he changed into something more elaborate, he was very unostentatious. there was a cnn-ibn or some other article describing the various rituals that would be involved in the ceremony, and all of the mentions were of the bachchans' family customs - from both amitabh and jaya's (i think that elaborate necklace above is a contribution from jaya bachchan) sides. however, there was no mention of any of aishwarya's family's bunt customs, either due to the myopia/ignorance of the journalist or because they were just speculating. i can't believe her family would allow their customs to be completely sidelined or that the bachchans would do that. given her look above and at tirupati, it looks like the journalist was wrong.

I agree with some of the comments on here - they almost seem like they are being forced to go through all this. And what's up with shitty beard..Yuck.

As Amitabh pointed out, it's part of the tradition to look like that during Indian weddings. It ties into the cultural values of what marriage means --- duty, sobriety, kula-dharma, etc.

It may look very strange to us "westerners", but if one reads some history of Indian culture(s) and the concept of ghrista-ashram as dharma, the roles of wife and husband in relation to each other as well as in relation to one's parents and in-laws, well, then one can glean an insight into why most "traditonal" Indian wedding photos contain almost no smiles and no touching, things that are expected at "western" weddings.

I recently saw a wedding photo from the 1950's wherein a friend of mine's grandmother (anglo-American) is standing with her husband and about 15 of his multi-generational relatives in South India. She was the only one beaming with a big, bright smile. It looked charming but out of place in a sea of stoic, serious faces.

Often times, even now, family photos from India often lack in beaming smiles. It's not because the people are unfamiliar with the technology of photography (an old argument), it's just because it's the way it is.

How many photos of married Indian couples (in India) have you seen where the couple are actually arm-in-arm and smiling?

Yes, if we visit Bombay or New Delhi once every 2 to 3 years, we are sure to see several couples showing public displays of affection here and there. But the rest of India just does not do that, generally speaking. Wedding and family photos reflect this aspect of Indian culture on celluloid.

It gives the appearance to outsiders that India is a country lacking in good ol' fashioned lovin. Not neccessarily the case. However, there is a protocol that is to be followed in front of the public and even in front of close family members, especially elders.

The problem starts when such appearantly cold behaviour seeps into private quarters. The result is frustration, represssion, dis-satisfaction.

I was reading an Ayurvedic book recently by the famous Harish Johari. He writes therein that there is an energy field that extends about an arm's length out from each individual and that we should try to keep an arm's length distance from other people, so as to preserve our energy field and allow for greater focus in our lives.

Unfortunately he advises parents to keep this distance between themselves in the household, in front of their children. He says that children are very impressionable and how the parent's act with each other affects the mental impressions a child will carry with them into adulthood. True. But unfortunately he got it backwards --- for a child to see no physical affection between her/his parents will yield
a negative result, not the other way around. I sat the book down for a moment and reflected upon how many people might actually be influenced by his words and take up his advice and stay an arm's length away from their spouse during the day in front of the kids. For some Indian people reading this it might make sense to them and reconfirm what they saw (or didn't see) in their house growing up --- a lack of physical affection between parents. Non-Indians into the yogic/ayurvedic lifestyle might be mislead into thinking that his view on physical affection has some sort of "mystical" or "ancient" scientific basis, and seek to implement in their life, despite not having grown up in such a fashion and feeling in the core of one's self it is not really psychologically healthy. I see such an adoption of negative aspects of cultures being adopted all the time by westerners getting into this or that philosophy from other regions of the world. After some time, when they see certain customs and habits don't work, they drop them, but that usually takes years and the damage has already been undone - to them and those around them.

I also noted how Johari did not mention that a woman should also keep her children at arm's length, or a baby in need of mother's milk.
It always struck me how the warnings of physical closeness were meted out to male-female couples rather than parents/children, especially mothers and children. If it's true that our energy field requires an arm's length distance then why only between a couple?

It's these small details -- the things that are not said, rather than the things that are said -- which give an indication of the mentality of a people, or of a culture. Bascially I came away from that section of the book knowing that here is a man, a "doctor" of ayurveda, a yogic practicioner, who is not at all comfy with the idea of the basic (adult) human need of touch and physical affection. And he is writing a book on health and well-being!

And it's these ideas that have influenced generations of Indians, not only Indians but people around the world from all different backgrounds as well, who are taking an interest in Indian holistic healing and ways of life. The 95% good advice is almost poisoned by the 5% bukwus which inevitably pops up at some point when you read books like this. And some people are not able to distinguish the good from the bad -- they buy into the whole package -- especially when they are looking to add some "culture" to their lives, which alot of the "new age" and "yoga" people of the west are looking for, what to speak of westerners who actually belong to a religious group that might agree with such ideas.

How many photos of married Indian couples (in India) have you seen where the couple are actually arm-in-arm and smiling?

I think smiling for those highly posed wedding pictures was actively discouraged by the photographers too. My parents and in-laws look wonderful, but very grim, in all their wedding photographs. Weddings (esp. in South India) were considered very solemn occassions back in the day, and grinning in the photos would have been inappropriate.

PG, to be perfectly honest, your comment (#115) looks purely speculative to me.

My parents have never heard of this ayurvedic field theory, which imho is just a big load of bull, and nor have any of my relatives. What has this got to do with whether they hold hands in public or not? Absolutely nothing.

PG, to be perfectly honest, your comment (#115) looks purely speculative to me.

My parents have never heard of this ayurvedic field theory, which imho is just a big load of bull, and nor have any of my relatives. What has this got to do with whether they hold hands in public or not? Absolutely nothing.

The theory sounds like BS to me too, in relation to a couple. However, I do like to keep a certain amount of space around me during my interaction with most people - a comfort zone - and when that zone is crossed, I do feel weird.

My point was not that every Indian would have read Johari's statement regarding this field, but that Indians in India are very much influenced by the overall ethos of the cultural environment there which is still to a large extent based on ideas similar to the ones written about above. What Johari did was take his religious/cultural/whatever repressed ideas regarding physical display of affection between a man and woman and try to gloss it over with some yogic/ayurvedic/mystical sounding theory so as to disguise his social conditioning and psychological issues in order to make it sound appealing to the worldwide masses when all it is is just the words of a non-romantic man who probably needs to walk up to his wife in the middle of a function and plant a big kiss on her face and let the world know how much he needs her. That would do more for him, her, you and me then some pseudo-scientific theory on why a husband and wife should not hold hands in front of their kids. And westerners fall for this crap. Ridiculous.

That being said, the rest of his book was pretty good, as well as some of his other works on yoga, meditation, tantra, etc.

Miyan Biwi raazi, to kya karega qazi?

If Aishwarya and Abhishek want to get married with their parent's blessings, in accordance with their traditions, why do so many people have a problem with it?

Get a life, please.

And I respect the way Amitabh Bachchan handled the wedding. I deeply admire his father and I love Amitabh, flaws and all included. Their values showed in the wedding. Which was unlike the tasteless display put up by the likes of Subrato Roy etc. Amitabh simply exudes class. Even when he is Lal Badshah, Sexy Sam or selling Hajmola.

As for Abhishek's beard, well, if Ash doesn't mind then who is anyone else to judge?!

Haha..

If Aishwarya and Abhishek want to get married with their parent's blessings, in accordance with their traditions, why do so many people have a problem with it?

Thanx for saying that. I've gotten a lot of heat recently from some close friends calling me a sell out for choosing to go thru traditional rites and horoscope matching and all the things I would consider BS otherwise as well and it hurts. And since when are weddings about the couple especially in the Indian context? Actually my Italian and Chinese friends told me they would have opted to elope and do without the pomp but it was for the parents. If Ash married a tree to make the inlaws happy so she could be happy so be it. What is the big deal? Honestly it has made both sets of my parents so happy and only makes my life easier so I don't see anything wrong in it. And if it makes me a hypocrite so be it. That many less people to invite to a wedding hehehe.

Honestly it has made both sets of my parents so happy and only makes my life easier so I don't see anything wrong in it.

Ditto for me. Before my overly-traditional wedding, I was complaining about practically every ridiculous ritual I had to go through, and then it hit me. The wedding is really for the family, the marriage is for you. So shrug it off, enjoy it and live happily ever after. Or something like that.

Thanx for saying that. I've gotten a lot of heat recently from some close friends calling me a sell out for choosing to go thru traditional rites and horoscope matching and all the things I would consider BS otherwise as well and it hurts.

Astrological compatibility is not BS. There is actually some sort of science behind it (based on astronomy), especially if you have a well-seasoned astrologer who has a strong basis in astronomy.

It basically checking the influences the planets and other heavenly bodies have on the disposition (nature, mood, character, personality) of an individual and how that disposition can positively or negatively affect their spouse.

Most of my friends had it done before or after marriage and I can say that what their charts show, shows up in "real life" as well, regarding their relationships.

More regarding Johari's and other Indian holistic healers writings; such advice does a great deal of harm to people like me who have grown up seeing healthy displays of affection between their parents, such as hand-holding, hugging, goodbye kisses before going to work, etc. I learned from my parents how to show love and appreciation for my mate. And I learned how a man should treat a woman (treat me) and how a woman reciprocates that good treatment with appreciation and love. To tell people like me who have grown up in such a healthy environment that I should degress, regress back into a time period or culture where such a healthy level of exchange did not exist (due to whatever reasons), is simply assanine beyond all belief. And yes, there are people who have grown up in a healthy, loving environment who will STILL try to implement such advice, going against their own conscious, because some "mystic yogi" or whatever said it, and they think it's "spiritual".

Of course it's a matter for Abhishek and Aishwarya to decide - the rituals, pleasing the family, the ten tons of gold, tree-weddings, temple-offerings, what have you. And as the adoring public that gives them (particularly AB senior) their roti-rozi and celebrity status, we have a right to think the worse of them for it. I don't know who is to blame for the over the top superstition and ritualism but it doesn't inspire respect.

>>The wedding is really for the family, the marriage is for you.

Here's a different take on marriage...

M. Nam

Scam and Sham, eh? Brilliant, MoorNam! :)

Astrological compatibility is not BS. There is actually some sort of science behind it (based on astronomy), especially if you have a well-seasoned astrologer who has a strong basis in astronomy.
PG has, no doubt, given this a great deal of thought.

Ditto for me. Before my overly-traditional wedding, I was complaining about practically every ridiculous ritual I had to go through, and then it hit me. The wedding is really for the family, the marriage is for you. So shrug it off, enjoy it and live happily ever after. Or something like that.

Honestly for me I'm actually enjoying it. I never thought I would but I am and I'm almost a little guilty for it. All the little rituals that I never in a million years thought I'd be part of are really endearing to me.

Astrological compatibility is not BS. There is actually some sort of science behind it.

As is the science behind being an adult and understanding your shortcomings and compatibilities and making logical decisions for yourself. Our astrological report told me nothing more about him, me and both of our relationship that I didn't already know.

And as the adoring public that gives them (particularly AB senior) their roti-rozi and celebrity status, we have a right to think the worse of them for it.

I beg to differ. These people don't owe you anything just because you pay $10 to see their movies. There is such a thing as a personal life and every single person is entitled to it no matter how public a figure. I think it's disgusting how people are saying all this nonsense about them when they really did go out of their way to keep things private and out of the public eye. It's one thing to want to look out of curiousity because it's a lovely thing and they are both celebrities and she's beautiful but then to say mean spirited stuff and make it personal is unacceptable.

What's mean-spirited and invasive-of-privacy about judging people who are very much in the public eye (and who ironically bank on an elite and Westernised image, like AB advertising luxury goods) for their rather retrograde behaviour? Why did they go to Tirupati with politicians and industrialists around them and make a big show of giving 51 lakhs to the temple, was that not a public act that was meant to be noticed? I didn't say they didn't have every right to do it or a right to their personal life, did I? I only said we have a right to judge them for it. Why the touchiness about judging people in this respect when we wouldn't hesistate to judge someone for, say, racist jokes and attitudes, even if they have a right to say those things?

What's mean-spirited and invasive-of-privacy about judging people who are very much in the public eye (and who ironically bank on an elite and Westernised image, like AB advertising luxury goods) for their rather retrograde behaviour?

You are implying that being a public personality in the entertainment industry is mutually exclusive to being religious. That too for Indians???

JOAT, congratulations! Did you ever mention on here before that you're getting married? All the best! Very happy for you.

JOAT, congratulations!

Congratulations too, JOAT