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Bollywood stars set for marriage By Monica Chadha BBC News, Mumbai
Bollywood is staging its biggest marriage in years with Aishwarya Rai wedding Abhishek Bachchan.
The Friday evening ceremony is being held at one of the Bachchan family homes in India's film capital, Mumbai.
The bride is a former Miss World, while the groom is son of film superstar Amitabh Bachchan and actress turned politician, Jaya Bachchan.
The film industry's first family has gone out of its way to keep the wedding a strictly private affair.
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A temporary wooden structure has been built around the house to ensure that no prying eyes or cameras ruin the private moment for the family.
And up to 400 security guards are on duty to keep strangers away.
Hundreds of police have been deployed to control the large number of journalists covering the event. They are also moving away onlookers from the scene.
There was drama late on Thursday when a woman claiming to be Bachchan's lover slashed one her wrists outside his house. She did not appear to have been seriously hurt by the wound.
'Small affair'
Only a few, very select guests have been invited to the wedding.
Close friends, namely industrialist Anil Ambani and politician Amar Singh, as well as fellow actors Kajol and her husband Ajay Devgan, Preity Zinta and Sanjay Dutt are among those invited to all functions.
The groom's childhood friends, including directors Apoorva Lakhia and Rohan Sippy, made it to the list as well.
However, many top Bollywood stars such as Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Rani Mukherjee did not.
A friend of the family said the Bachchans wanted to keep it small as the groom's grandmother is unwell and undergoing treatment in hospital.
It ceremony was due to begin in the afternoon with a procession led by the groom along the road between one of his bungalows, Jalsa, to another, Pratiksha (Wait, in Hindi), where the bride will be waiting for him.
The two will then wed according to Hindu marriage rites. These include walking around the fire seven times which signifies that the couple will reunite for the next seven births.
Since this is the significant part of a Hindu wedding, the couple will do so at 1730 hours local time (1200 GMT), which is considered an auspicious hour on this particular day.
Eleven priests have reportedly been called in to conduct the marriage.
'No honeymoon'
Rai is expected to wear a special outfit created by her long-time designer, Neeta Lulla, while Bachchan is thought to have opted for an ensemble designed by duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, who are close to the Bachchan family.
The big day was preceded by the sangeet, or music night, on Wednesday, when relatives and friends joined the couple to dance and sing songs.
Amitabh Bachchan and his wife Jaya reportedly performed a special waltz for the couple, while their friends gave special performances.
Thursday evening was the mehndi, or henna night, when the bride's hands and feet are painted with henna in preparation for the big day.
While this function took place at Rai's residence in Bandra, a dinner party took place at the Bachchan bungalow.
Reports say the couple will not go for a honeymoon since Abhishek Bachchan wants to be close to his grandmother and spend time with her.
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The woman who claims to be Abhishek Bachchan's lover, Jahnvi Kapoor, shows off her self-inflicted injuries after she slashed her writs in front of the Bollywood actor's home web pagePosts: 3188 | Registered: Feb 2007
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The Groom Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan arrives for his wedding in Mumbai in traditional Hindu dress
Frenzied crowds swarmed Abhishek Bachchan as he rode in on a white horse with his nephew
"It's our idol's son's marriage. We don't need an invitation," said Manikchand Choksi, a young Bachchan fan who came from the northern city of Allahabad, the actor's hometown. "We think we are a part of the groom's side."
The celebrations have transfixed Bollywood and sent India's celebrity-crazy media into a feeding frenzy.
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