Karisma's Love at Fast sight

By: Upala KBR, Mid-Day
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Here's a bit of news that finally puts to rest all rumours of industrialist Sunjay Kapur and Karisma Kapoor's marriage breaking up. After spending a long holiday in Singapore recently (they reportedly even bought a house there), the much-in-love couple is back in town. Like most loving Punjabi wives, Karisma kept karva chauth fast yesterday for hubby, Sunjay.

Keeping the fast

If there were any doubts in Lolo's mind about her hubby or her marriage, she wouldn't have gone through the day without a drop of water and food. Other industry wives like Bhavana Pandey and Maheep Kapoor too fasted and they all went for the pooja to Sunita (Anil Kapoor's wife) Kapoor's home.

Dressing up

According to a source, "Karisma wore a traditional ghaghra made by Manish Malhotra." Like Karan Johar's lavish portrayals of karva chauth (in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham), all Lolo's friends came over to Anil Kapoor's Juhu residence dressed in their traditional finery and diamond jewellery.

Says a source close to the Kapoor family, "Karisma did keep the karva chauth yesterday with her friends Maheep Kapoor and Bhavana Pandey. Karisma has always loved the tradition and has been keeping the fast from the first year that she got married. In the evening, they all partied and broke their fasts together at the Kapoor residence. Even all the husbands joined in later.

In good company

The source also revealed that Lolo's hubby Sunjay was in town and he joined Lolo for the karva chauth party.

When quizzed whether the other Kapoor girl Kareena had also fasted for Shahid, a close friend of the family laughed, "No Kareena is not fasting. She is too much of a foodie to keep a fast."

Anil Kapoor, at whose home the party was held, says, "Sunita keeps karva chauth for me every year and we have a party where all our close friends come." And does he fast along with her? "No," comes the reply.

Filmmaker Karan Johar and karva chauth

"It has been a very special part of my childhood years when I would see mom keeping the fast for my dad. I used it in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham as I have grown up seeing this tradition.

And anything that is an important event in your life forms a part of your cinema. Karva chauth is an important tradition of Punjabi social life and North Indians. It's a tradition where women keep a fast and pray for their husbands' long lives and break it only after looking at the moon. I had Hirthik bring Jaya aunty's sargi to Kajol.

Sargi represents a mother-in-law's love for her daughter-in-law. It's food consisting of dried fruits and badams, which the daughter-in-law has at 4 am before keeping the fast. Sargi can vary from person to person. I remember my grandmother would send badams as part of the sargi to my mom."