Suhas Yellapantula (BOMBAY TIMES; August 9, 2020)

It was celebration time for the Daggubati and Bajaj families as Rana Daggubati tied the knot with Miheeka Bajaj in an intimate ceremony on Saturday. The wedding, although traditional, was a starry affair with Tollywood stars like Allu Arjun and Ram Charan attending the do along with close family members of the couple. The street leading upto the Ramanaidu Studios, the wedding venue, was cordoned off by security personnel and the venue was transformed into a bio-secure bubble to keep Coronavirus at bay. Rana and Miheeka matched outfits for their fairy-tale wedding. Rana opted for a heavy pattu kurta and dhoti, with a kandva wrapped around his shoulders. Miheeka, who was keeping things fairly simple and light with her pre-wedding outfits, went with a royal look for the wedding. In a heavily embroidered cream-coloured lehenga and blouse, paired with a rust-coloured embroidered dupatta and accessorised with antique jewellery, she made for a stunning bride.

In a white-coloured mandap set up at Ramanaidu Studios, Miheeka and Rana sat on silver and rusted orange settes to perform their wedding pujas. With a painting in hues of yellows and greys in the backdrop, fresh flowers hung from the ceiling. Flowers matching Rana and Miheeka’s outfits, in shades of cream and rust orange, made for the rest of the wedding décor.

RANA GEARED UP FOR BIG DAY WITH A PUJA AT HOME
The Daggubati household was teeming with activity on Saturday morning, as family members gathered for a puja. The excited groom shared a picture with his father Suresh Babu and uncle Venkatesh to announce that he was “Ready” to tie the knot. “It’s going to be very simple, nothing extravagant. But, it will be beautiful,” Suresh Babu, Rana’s father, told us ahead of the wedding. “We’ll do all the Telugu ceremonies, including the kanya danam (a ritual of parents giving away the bride), apart from a few ceremonies from their side, too,” he added.

AN EMOTIONAL FAREWELL FOR MIHEEKA
Meanwhile, at the Bajaj residence, the bride-to-be began her morning with a small prayer at their in-house temple, after which she sought the blessings of the ancestors in her family. Bunty Bajaj, Miheeka’s mother, said, “I can’t believe my baby is ready to get married. She’ll be leaving the house, so I’m very emotional. But I’m happy that she’s going to a lovely home with a very nice family and Rana is a wonderful boy. I can’t ask for more.”