Bachchan's - a perfect example of multicultural India
Thursday,
April
26,
2007
Talk
about
national
integration
and
you
find
it
fully
in
the
family
of
the
biggest
Bollywood
family,
the
Bachchans
(especially
after
the
recent
alliance),
who
are
now
a
living
example
of
the
same.
While
Amitabh
aka
Big
B
is
an
from
Uttar
Pradesh,
he
married
petite
Bengali
beauty
Jaya
Bhaduri
and
got
daughter
Shweta
married
off
to
a
Punjabi
family,
the
Nandas
(who
also
happen
to
be
the
family
into
which
Raj
Kapoor's
daughter
Ritu
married
and
hence
is
related
to
Abhishek's
ex
fiance
Karisma
Kapoor).
The latest addition to the Bachchan family, the ethereally beautiful bahu Aishwarya Rai belongs to the Bunt community from Karnataka that speaks Tulu. While there was confusion as to which customs would be followed during the recent Abhi Ash wedding, it was really interesting to know that all kinds of customs were given equal importance. There was a sangeet, a very North Indian custom, complete with song and dance, two days before the wedding. Aishwarya was dressed as a South Indian bride in a beautiful gold silk saree (Kanjivaram) and sported flowers, while Abhishek was seen flaunting a typical North Indian groom's attire; a sherwani and a sehra. He even came riding a white mare to the venue with his baraat.
The initial customs during the actual wedding ceremony did belong to the Ash's tradition. Muhurtham or lagnam was the custom to begin with where in the bride's family receives the groom, the bride's aunt performs the traditional aarti in his honour and the bride's mother follows it up by performing the deepa aarti (welcome ritual performed with lighted lamps) for him. Even the Jaymala or garlanding custom was typical South Indian. The remaining customs including the saat phere were in accordance to the North Indian traditions mostly the Arya Samaji way.
However Bengali customs were not overlooked either. At Jaya Bachchan's request, Aishwarya was holding a sindoor box, a typical Bengali custom during the entire wedding ceremony. Later after Ash's vidai(farewell from her parents' home), her sister -in-law, Sweta welcomed her to her new home, dressed in a red and white Bengali saree. The mehendi custom, prior to the wedding is however common to almost all traditions where Aishwarya wore a north Indian style pretty Pink outfit and was uniquely adorned in jewellery made of flowers amidst all kinds of flower decorations. This was something unique as well and is quite Bengali.
The Bachchans are not only the biggest brand from Bollywood now; they are also a family with mix culture under one roof. It will nice to see more such unique displays of their mixed culture in future too.