For Sonam Kapoor’s second mehendi ceremony, guests stuck to the dress code and made merry with song-and-dance
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 8, 2018)

After an only-for-family mehendi ceremony at Anil Kapoor’s Juhu residence on Sunday where bride-to-be Sonam and fiance Anand Ahuja shook a leg to the Race 2 chartbuster, “Lat Lag Gayi”, a second ceremony for B-town friends and family kicked off around 6 pm on Monday. It was hosted at the banquet hall of a BKC residential property in which the 32-year-old actress owns a plush 7000-sq feet duplex.

Sonam’s besties, Jacqueline Fernadez and Veere Di Wedding co-star Swara Bhasker were among the first to arrive. Her cousins, uncle Boney’s daughters Anshula, Janhvi and Khushi, as well as Sanjay Kapoor’s daughter Shanaya, were also by her side. 

“The venue was decorated with white flowers and candles that complemented the dress code of ‘shades of white’. The guests soon got grooving to Punjabi tracks and Bollywood hits. Jacqueline and Sonam shook a leg to 'Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan' from the former’s film Roy, and moved on to other chartbusters featuring the bride-to-be. Meanwhile, papa Anil attended to the guests in-between doing the bhangra to dhol beats,” a guest from the ceremony told Mirror. Sonam’s actor-cousin Arjun, dashing in a black sherwani, was one of the late-comers owing to the traffic snarl on the roads leading up to the venue but wasted no time in joining in the revelry upon arrival. Singer Sukhbir was the designated musician for the occasion and got the party started with foot-tapping numbers like “Punjabi Munde”.

“Around 35 mehendi artists were roped in and while Swara was happy to get an elaborate design etched on her palms, Jacqueline reluctantly opted for something smaller as she had a shoot coming up,” the source revealed, adding that the banquet beckoned with a spread of different cuisines, including chaats, kebabs and biryanis.

As stars, from Rekha and Rani Mukerji to Katrina Kaif and Karan Johar, trooped in in their ethnic best, the building security got into action. Personal security were stationed at the gate as well to ensure complete privacy to the guests. “When Rekha ji arrived, she was taken straight to the couple whom she blessed before sitting down and spending time with Farah Khan’s triplets, Czar, Anya and Diva. Farah who’s fractured her leg, hobbled around on crutches,” added the source.

“After the chooda ceremony, Sonam tried to shake off the kaleerein on her unmarried friends including Jacqueline, Swara, Katrina and Isabelle Kaif, and cousin Janhvi but the ladies managed to dodge the shaadi ka laddoo as the kaleerein refused to fall off Sonam’s wrists,” signs off the guest.

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From Karan Johar dancing to Sukhbir's songs, to Jacqueline Fernandez's mini mehendi, the lowdown on colour-coded Kapoor pre-wedding function
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; May 8, 2018)

Following an intimate mehendi ceremony at their Juhu home on Sunday, it was time for a grand celebration — bride Sonam Kapoor threw open the doors of Sunteck Hall in Signature Island Apartments in Bandra Kurla Complex for an elaborate mehendi session yesterday.

Sticking to the dress code laid down on the invite — "Indian festive shades of white" — Bollywood's glitterati came together for the pre-wedding function, ahead of the actor's wedding with Anand Ahuja today.

Sonam looked radiant in a white chikankari Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla couture lehenga while the groom complemented her in a white bandhgala.

Namrata Soni, who Sonam has trusted with her bridal makeup, said, "We kept the makeup traditional — a bronze winged eye with pink lips, and fishtail braid with mogras." Veena Nagra did the mehendi for all the ladies present.

Guests started trickling in by 5 pm, with Karan Johar, Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Swara Bhasker being the early birds. Even a fractured leg couldn't dissuade Farah Khan from attending the function.

Though initially reluctant to have hennaed hands, Jacqueline Fernandez finally got a miniature design on her left hand at Sonam's behest.

Johar was the first on the dance floor as he grooved to Sukhbir who belted out his hits. Anil Kapoor dragged Shilpa to the dance floor as the trio jived together. Sonam shook a leg with Fernandez on Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan, before grooving to Tareefan.

Rekha found perfect company in Farah Khan's kids. The wedding ceremony is scheduled for 11 am today. The reception in the evening will see performances by Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor and others.