Suhas Yellapantula (BOMBAY TIMES; August 7, 2020)

After kick-starting Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj’s wedding celebrations with a traditional haldi ceremony on Wednesday, it was time for some band baaja at the Bajaj residence on Thursday. The guests seemed to be revelling in the wedding festivities as they grooved to upbeat music ahead of Miheeka’s mehendi ceremony.

After opting for traditional gold and yellow hues for her haldi ceremony, Miheeka went romantic and soft for her mehendi with a gorgeous pink lehenga, paired with a deep-cut jacket. Smokey eyes and understated lips accentuated her features and ensured all the attention stayed on her lehenga, accessorised with statement, kundan maang tikka and chandelier earrings. The groom-to-be, Rana, too was a part of the celebrations at his fiancée’s residence. Tollywood star Samantha Akkineni was also among the guests who had attended the mehendi ceremony, which was a casual yet classy affair.

Speaking to us, Bunty Bajaj, Miheeka’s mother, says, “While Wednesday’s haldi ceremony was a traditional affair, we decided to have a modern theme for the mehendi function. We used classic colours like white and pink for the theme as we wanted it to have an elegant feel to it.”

Loud music plays in the background while we talk to the excited Bunty. Are sangeet preparations underway, we ask. “No, no, we are just partying,” chuckles Bunty, adding, “After all the effort gone into the preparations, it’s good to have some fun as well. The whole family is here and we’re all making the most of the happy occasion.”

Meanwhile at the Daggubati residence, décor was minimalistic with the house decorated with traditional flowers. According to sources, there was a puja at Rana’s residence on Thursday, which will be followed by a pellikoduku function today. “All ceremonies will be simple affairs and will be done as per our Telugu customs,” said Daggubati Suresh Babu, Rana’s father.
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Leading up to the Aug 8 wedding, the haldi ceremony was performed in Hyderabad on Wednesday
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 7, 2020)

On May 12, Rana Daggubati announced on social media that he has virtually proposed to girlfriend Miheeka Bajaj in the midst of a pandemic and she had said “yes”. Nine days later, the actor shared pictures from his roka ceremony with the interior designer and event manager, making the news official. Since then, there have been speculations in plenty about when the couple will be tying the knot till Rana’s father, producer and studio owner, Suresh Babu, confirmed that the wedding will take place on Saturday, August 8.

Festivities have already started. On Wednesday, there was the haldi ceremony at the bride’s Jubilee Hills residence in Hyderabad. Miheeka opted for a traditional yellow attire, complete with shell and floral jewellery. The decor was straight out of the Nizam era, with gold drapes and baskets of lush marigold. The function was attended by her immediate family and a few people from the groom’s family, including Rana himself, who opted for a plain white shirt and a dhoti. Everyone was dressed in shades of sunny yellow, cream and marigold and maintained social distancing. Masks were mandatory. In fact, the lady who has knocked the Bahubali actor for a six, had made a style statement at the engagement by getting herself a designer mask that matched her outfit.

The wedding will be at the Ramanaidu Studios, where the roka ceremony had taken place earlier. There will be just around 30 guests from the bride and groom’s immediate family.