In Holy Matrimony

Even in the ‘Shaken not Stirred’ world of 007 special agent James Bond, glamour surnames, raw sexual energy, and a blatant display of OTT (over the top) wealth and power have never combusted as it did at the Douglas-Zeta Jones nuptials last week. Resplendent (as the pre-nuptial perfect to the last five million for very adulterous liaison hubby Michael indulged in) Catherine Zeta Jones wore a Christian Lacroix bridal confection that gave the six-tier wedding cake a jolly run for money. Age, the other notable difference between them, seemed a none-the-worse casualty of twenty-five years, but the twenty-five million or more pre-nuptial agreement was of cutting edge market savvy, reducing her “I felt I was walking on air” statement to guests at the reception akin to a Nike endorsement.

Paid one million by OK magazine for exclusive coverage of this star-studded event, guests — while being body-searched for cameras that could scupper the deal — were given lavish going-home presents. Touchy feelie, in your face greed did seem the order of the ‘made in the lawyers’ office’ wedding of the millennium. British paper The Sunday Telegraph reported that the ceremony cost two million pounds. The paper also divulged the details of the happy couple’s pre-nuptial agreement whereby Douglas has agreed to pay Zeta Jones three million pounds if he is unfaithful and one million pounds for every year they stay together. Guests were encouraged not to give the couple traditional wedding presents, the paper reports, but could deposit sums of cash into the “charitable” trust fund of their infant son, Dylan.

The most attractive picture that caught the eye of the sharpest lensmen representing the world media, captured for publications globe over, was of the actress Goldie Hawn. Monday newspapers, without exception, carried pictures of the actress in a stunning red and gold velvet saree with an off the shoulder blouse and a stunning vilandi bazuband. Her close friendship with Parmeshwar Godrej, no doubt was the inspiration to this classy eye-catching saree, and I am sure therein lies another tale of how this fashion coup was pulled off with such innate panache and understated sophisticated glamour.

Fast forward to Mumbai barely a day later, and the genuine love, warmth and gaiety of ‘a made in heaven to live on earth’ nuptials of Bandana Tewari to Ravi Krishnan had Mumbai on its celebratory toes for a week of unusually eclectic bonhomie; set in a traditional South Indian wedding on the lawns of the Oberoi poolside. The parties hosted by close mates Mel D’souza, AD Singh, Farokh Chotia, Ameet Gheewala, Sanjiv Shanmugam and Raj Kondur at the chic new Mediterranean inspired ‘Olive’ restaurant had a 150 oomphy girls and hunky young men rubbing celebrity shoulders with the shakers of the city. Never having hosted a mehendi before, I was rather surprised at the fervour and fun of the banglewallah, puppeters, bindiwalis and mehendi experts, all weaving a magic on the lawns of my home the next day — brimming with gentlemen and ladies, globe trotters one and all, having flown in from all corners of the earth for Ravi and Bandana. When Talvin Singh, ‘Badshah’ of fusion, played a half-hour solo on his tabla, the swell of 200 and more guests gasped in collective union at the genius of a master percussionist playing with effortless ease to hold us spellbound. Rohit Bal (my dear dear friend Gudda) stayed till the last of guests left at the unearthly hour of four. The wedding in the morning, held with South Indian precision and decorum, was awe-inspiring. The evening reception was a saga of elegance at the Regal room at The Oberoi, their cup of happiness surely did overfloweth, as a gorgeous Bandana and handsome Ravi beamed for the cameras and hugged and kissed almost everyone. The party now moves to Goa for a weekend of merriment and hopefully a short but sweet honeymoon for the couple, one of many — Egypt the Far East and Europe making the chain of romance tied to honeymoon, for a further six months or more.

Can two weddings ever contrast so much? Sure I only read about the one and experienced the other in totality, but the avarice, greed and the vulgarity of the Douglas pre-nuptial and nuptial showed us a topper of a wedding in Ravi and Bandana’s bandhan, reflecting as it did the sacrosanct Hindu joining of souls, versus the merger and acquisition route of the celebrity Douglas\Jones wedding. India has a lot to offer the soul thirsty, mind weary ‘Phirang’, but even merely embracing the saree as Goldie Hawn did, made her a show-stopper. Aping the west has never been less fashionable than it is today. Night Shyamalan, Talvin Singh, Shekhar Kapur and others have proved beyond a pale of doubt that our indigenous talent is as superior even in the entertainment business that Zeta and Douglas embody.

Our other illustrious families in technology, steel, media and software have brought Indians to the top of the heap on the list of world billionaires. To me it is our faith and the power of prayer that binds our spirit and soul that go to make a legend. The thread of tradition and culture must never be lost and nothing can exemplify it as contrasted by the unholy and holy matrimony of two couples enjoined worlds apart, in alliances reflective of what divides the spiritual haves, from the have-nots. May the Lord in his munificence shower his manifold blessings on both unions to have love, honour and hold forever.