Marriage changes everything, they say. It’s certainly turned Kajal Aggarwal’s social media feed on its head. From being someone who has been extremely reserved about her personal life, Kajal seems to have turned a corner ever since she tied the knot with Gautam Kitchlu in a traditional wedding in Mumbai on October 30. The pictures that she’s been sharing — be it from their wedding festivities, housewarming party, Diwali celebrations or their honeymoon in Maldives — have been a rage on social media. We wonder if the actress is enjoying not having to worry about keeping things under wraps any more? “Well, it feels great to go from Ms Aggarwal to Mrs Kitchlu,” says Kajal, laughing.

The actress, however is quick to add that unlike their fairytale-like photoshoots, her relationship with Gautam was serious and stable. “We’ve known each other for a long time and have been friends for the past eight years. More than the movies-like romance, our relationship has been stable, mature and healthy and we have grown together consistently over the years. In the end, getting married to each other just felt like the most natural progression,” she says.

Although Kajal and Gautam discussed the idea of settling down together, the actress admits that the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown sped things up. “We’ve known it for a while that we wanted to spend the rest of our life together, but the lockdown speeded up the process exponentially,” says Kajal, adding, “We got together and had a very earnest, heart-to-heart conversation envisaging a future together and decided to take it forward. Gautam was very conventional — he first took the permission of my parents. Then he went down on one knee and popped the question. It was so authentic, real and sincere. I found it adorable and unforgettable.”

Kajal’s real life romance may not be like the way it is in her movies, but the actress says her husband does enjoy watching her films. “He’s seen a few of my Tollywood films. Magadheera, Sita, Vivegam and Nene Raju Nene Mantri are his current favourites,” she says, with a laugh.

While the lockdown may have helped them get married sooner than expected, planning a wedding during the lockdown was a pretty huge task, shares Kajal. “It wasn’t easy for sure. We got everyone tested for COVID-19 and all the outstation guests were quarantined. Each and every vendor got tested. Every step and every decision took way longer than it would have normally. Thankfully, the wedding went by smoothly and it was a truly special day,” she says, adding that she hopes to have a reception for friends and family who they couldn’t host during the wedding.

Post her wedding, Kajal and Gautam moved into their new home in Mumbai, where they celebrated their first Diwali as a married couple recently. “It was very special indeed. We spent it with family. We had a puja at office and then a puja at home. We visited cousins and hosted a fabulous dinner at our place. Although Gautam and I had celebrated Diwali as friends before, this was the first time we were together the whole time. It was also our Diwali party at our new home. We played cards and made merry, it was perfect,” she recalls.

After the wedding of her dreams, Kajal had a lovely honeymoon soaking up the sun and admiring the blue ocean waters in Maldives. “We got ourselves tested upon departure and arrival both ways. We spent our honeymoon at a lovely resort island in Maldives. It was magical,” she says.

Kajal, who is all set to commence shoot for megastar Chiranjeevi-starrer Acharya next week, signs off saying, “As I enter a new phase in my life, I wish for health, love, the ability to hang in there and mental hygiene for our loved ones and those all around us.”

After a whirlwind wedding on Friday, Kajal Aggarwal and Gautam Kitchlu began a new chapter in their lives with a housewarming ceremony at their beautiful new home in Mumbai on Saturday. The newlyweds, accompanied by Kajal’s parents Vinay and Suman Aggarwal, sister Nisha with her family, and the entire Kitchlu khaandaan from Gautam’s side, made way to the dream home set up by the couple themselves. “Yes, the morning after the wedding began with a gruha-pravesh at their dream home. It was a beautiful, traditional ceremony. The duo were beaming with joy and we are all so proud of them. Next up, will be a puja for the newly-weds, which will be planned soon,” says Nisha.

The home has been a dream project for the duo, and has personal touches by both Kajal as well as Gautam, who is the founder of a home decor and interior design venture, himself. “It’s something they’ve both been working on personally, with so much passion. They’ve done it up with a lot of love, and it’s stunning,” says Nisha, adding that she wants the couple to have the pleasure of revealing more about their dream home themselves.

Kajal and Gautam ditched the usual loud colours and showy mandaps, and chose a geometric pink and rose-gold coloured dome instead. A wall of fresh flowers in pink and white made for a dreamy backdrop forthe mandap. Accents of fresh greenfoliage and frothy white blossoms dotted the venue — the ball-room of a plush Mumbai hotel. Guests, comprising close family and friends from both sides, were seated on traditional wooden chairs with white cushions.

The couple had a unique ceremony to mark their union with a perfect mix of Punjabi and Kashmiri wedding rituals. While Kajal kept her attire traditional with a red, heavily embroidered designer lehenga, she gave it a quirky twist by pairing it with a gold vaddanam (waist belt) and a temple jewellery style matha patti —a perfect ode to her South Indian connection. A pastel dupatta, fresh roses on the hair, custom made kaleeras dangling from her chooda, chandelier earrings and a kundan choker completed the look. Gautam looked dapper in an ivory sherwani that he paired with a nude coloured turban and a soft pink dupatta to match his bride.

Wedding festivities have commenced in full swing at the Aggarwal household as Kajal Aggarwal is all set to tie the knot with Gautam Kitchlu in Mumbai on Friday. The actress’ relatives have gathered at her Mumbai residence to be a part of ‘Team Bride’ as they gear up for the big day. Nisha Aggarwal, Kajal’s sister, tells us, “Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we’re keeping the celebrations low-key. Despite the restrictions in place, we’re trying our best to create the shaadi ka mahaul. We will be hosting traditional haldi and mehendi ceremonies at home. Both ceremonies will take place on the same day — October 29, a day before the wedding. We’re all extremely thrilled for Kajal and we’re so excited for her as she begins her new journey.”

Even as wedding preparations take place for Kajal’s big day, Nisha says it’s also an emotional time for the family. “My father has been looking forward to Kajal’s wedding day for so long, so it’s a special time for all of us. We’re also a bit emotional as Kajal will be getting married and leaving home. So at the moment, we’re trying to spend as much time as we can with her. But everyone wants a piece of the bride during this time, so I haven’t gotten to spend much time with her,” she sighs.

While Nisha is tight-lipped about the wedding venue, she says it will be a small ceremony with only close family members and friends in attendance. “Although low-key, the wedding will be a special one, that’s for sure. We have planned a little sangeet on the wedding day itself, so there’s going to be singing, dancing, love and laughter all around,” she says, adding, “Gautam is a great guy and I’m delighted to welcome him into the family. As for their love story, I’ll let Kajal be the one to share it with the world.”

Actress Kajal Aggarwal is all set to tie the knot with a Mumbai-based entrepreneur in a close-knit affair next month. The actress, who is known for a host of films down South and Bollywood movies like Singham (2011) and Special 26 (2013), is believed to have got engaged in August in a private ceremony at her Mumbai residence. Last week, Kajal posted some pictures on soical media in which a large diamond ring could be seen on her finger.

A source close to the actress confirms, “Kajal has been dating a Mumbai-based businessman for quite some time and during the lockdown, they decided to take their relationship to the next level. Only immediate family members were present at the engagement ceremony that took place at Kajal’s home. The wedding will take place in the first week of November.”

Due to the pandemic, the marriage, too, will be a close-knit affair. “Kajal wants it to be an outdoor wedding, in or around Mumbai. One of the venues on the list is a vineyard in Maharashtra, but if that doesn’t work out, they may opt for a hotel in Mumbai. The guest list will include around 50 people,” shares the source, adding, “Since Kajal won’t be able to invite many of her friends from the film industry, she plans to host a reception in Mumbai next year when things get better.”

The actress is yet to make an official announcement about her wedding. Vinay Aggarwal, Kajal’s father, says, “Nothing has been finalised right now. At this point of time, I cannot speak about this. Jiss din confirm ho jaayega, I will be happy to announce it.”