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Ash-Abhishek get engaged
Monday, January 15, 2007
(Mumbai):
Ending all speculation Amitabh
Bachchan has confirmed to LiveIndia.com that Abhishek Bachchan and
Aishwarya Rai got engaged on Sunday evening. The engagement ceremony took
place at Aishwarya's Mumbai residence. After months of media speculation
and denials from Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and even Amitabh Bachchan,
the young actors are finally getting married. Abhishek and Aishwarya got
engaged in Mumbai on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on Sunday night. The
news was confirmed by Big B himself. A small roka ceremony was held at
Aishwarya's house, after which close friends and family arrived at the
Bachchan residence in Jalsa to congratulate the couple. The guests included
Karan Johar, Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher, Anil and Tina Ambani.
Ash and Abhishek had returned
early Sunday morning from Toronto after the premier of their film Guru.
According to Hindu astrology,
both actors are manglik, which makes their marriage potentially difficult.
That's the reason they chose
the auspicious day for the engagement to counter the ill-effects of the
zodiac.
While no one is saying much
yet, there are reports within the film fraternity that the wedding could
take place as early as February.
Low profile It’s no surprise
that the couple were so secretive. Both actors have always kept a low profile
about their relationship and probing questions have been answered either
by silence or flippant jokes. Although the couple were seen arriving at
various places of worship separately, it was only in November 2006 that
Aishwarya was first seen in public with the Bachchan family in Banaras.
Adding fuel to the fire
were reports that special aartis were performed at the Kashi Vishwanath
Temple praying for a successful future for the couple.
“It will be a very successful
wedding because they are following traditions. When the Bachchan family
last came here, we even made Abhishek and Aishwarya perform a puja,” said
Srikant Tripathi, Priest, Vishwanath Temple.
The couple seem to find
a lot of respite in God's house. Days before the release of his film Guru,
Abhishek along with his father walked barefoot to Siddhivinayak Temple
in Mumbai
The romance which started
on the sets of JP Dutta's Umrao Jaan grew on the sets of Dhoom 2 and Mani
Ratnam's Guru where Aishwarya plays the role of Abhishek's better half.
Dad Amitabh Bachchan is
on cloud nine after son Abhishek announced he was marrying Aishwarya Rai
- a decision that was hanging fire for more than a year. Asked when the
marriage would take place, Amitabh said: "Not right way. But yes, very
shortly. Like every father I'm over the moon, specially at this juncture
when Abhishek has delivered such a sledgehammer performance in 'Guru'."
The wedding is expected
to take place in February.
"Amitabh Bachchan is so
happy with this alliance that he himself called up a journalist and said,
'Congratulations, Abhishek proposed to Aishwarya and she has accepted',"
a source close to the family.
The engagement Sunday evening
of Bollywood's hottest couple puts at rest all speculation on whether the
marriage will happen or not. Close friends feel that their love has withstood
the long, rigorous test of time.
Apparently, some of family
members were initially against the match but finally they also came around.
"Everybody - be it fans,
media or family members - were against their marriage because of Aishwarya's
flings in the past and the myth that she brings bad omen for her boyfriends.
They warned Abhishek 'if you marry her your career will be ruined' and
insisted that she is very unlucky.
"They tried to dissuade
him by talking about their age difference (Abhishek is about to turn 31
and Aishwarya is 33) and that she is a manglik (born under a particular
astrological configuration that the superstitious believe is not auspicious
for the husband). But Abhishek didn't listen to anybody and withstood all
the opposition," added the source.
Abhishek's first love story
with Karisma Kapoor didn't have a happy ending. Before joining films he
was dating the actress and they had got engaged too, but they later broke
off over reported interference by Karisma's mother, former actress Babita,
who didn't want her daughter to marry the then flop actor.
In 2005, Aishwarya came
into his life after her break up with co-star Viveik Oberoi. Before that
she had had an affair with Salman Khan.
Abhishek and Aishwarya appeared
as lead couple in "Kuch Naa Kaho", "Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke", "Umrao Jaan"
and the just released "Guru". In the first three films, their on-screen
chemistry failed to impress and the movies sank without a trace. Thankfully,
"Guru", released Friday, is making waves at the box office.
"They said that Abhishek
should go with Rani Mukerji because they make a good couple. Some said
that their romance is a mere publicity stunt but the fact of the matter
is that they were waiting for a hit. Their marriage talk was going on for
quite sometime; it didn't happen in the last few days," said the source.
The engagement took place
at Amitabh Bachchan's residence and among those present at the ceremony
were Aishwarya's family and industrialist Anil Ambani and his wife, Tina.
Close friend Karan Johar was also there. Earlier, the 'roka' ceremony was
performed at Aishwarya's house.
Asked about the whereabouts
of the Bachchan family, who are reportedly in Ujjain in Rajasthan Monday,
the source said: "It's difficult to say anything about them because it
doesn't take them long to sit in a chopper and fly off to their desired
destination."
Reports had been flying
thick and fast for the past few months that an engagement was on the cards,
particularly after Aishwarya accompanied Abhishek and his parents to perform
rituals at a revered Varanasi temple.
Last February, Amitabh's
brother Ajitabh Bachchan had told the media that he went to meet a Bangalore-based
astrologer Chandrashekhar Swamy with the horoscopes of Aishwarya and Abhishek.
Apparently, Abhishek's octogenarian
grandmother Teji Bachchan is keen to see him married.
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