The world will soon get to see another side of Natasha Dalal, fashion designer and wife of actor Varun Dhawan, as she gets ready for her OTT debut.

Soon, she will be seen helping a bride find her dream wedding attire in a fashion-based web show, Say Yes To The Dress India.

After studying fashion designing from Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York, Dalal returned to India in 2013 and launched her design house, Natasha Dalal Label, which specialises in bridal and wedding couture collections.

Now, it will also be the first time when she will be showcasing her collection in front of the camera.

“Designing has always been a passion, and there couldn’t have been a better opportunity to make my OTT debut,” she said, adding that curating an outfit for a bride is a very overwhelming experience.

“Every bride is unique and watching her eyes sparkle when she sees her dream outfit unfold in front of her, makes up for all the effort that goes into the process of bringing it to life. I’m looking forward to witnessing that,” she added.

Dalal likes to stay away from the limelight. Since she is camera shy, it is yet to be seen if she comes in front of the camera or let her collection do the talking.

Akash Bhatnagar & Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 15, 2020)

It’s been almost six months since Bollywood’s globetrotters have been cooped up within the four walls of their homes without work. Now, with Coronavirus lockdown restrictions relaxing, some of them have taken flight. And Goa seems to be the favourite destination.

Since Varun Dhawan loves the ocean, the pull of the sunny beaches was irresistible. En route Goa, while crossing a bridge, he documented the still waters below, then, was drowning in a pool of love for steady date Natasha Dalal. Wearing his heart on his sleeve he confessed, “No, I won’t be afraid just as long as you stand by me.” Awww! The next day, VD was shaking the paw of a new buddy. Bow wow, the sands and the sea sure agree with this B-Townie!

Varun’s Coolie No 1 co-star, Sara Ali Khan, also loves being back to the blue. From windswept posts on the beach and gulabi clicks in the hotel’s swimming pool to blending with the fern and foliage in camouflage print, the actress with brother Ibrahim and a few friends is “hiding from 2020” and how! Looking closely, it seems like the co-stars are even at the same hotel.

Karan Johar’s student, Ananya Panday, is in Goa too, but it’s all work and some play with her Khaali Peeli co-star, Ishaan Khatter, for company. The duo has been sighted together almost everywhere since the teaser of their upcoming film dropped. Okay, so they are promoting their film too, but in between bytes, Ananya poses for shots like a pro, quipping, “Smileee… It confuses people.” Do we read between the lines here? However, the lady was quick to ask for a credit when her hero shared his own solos against the exact same backdrop as her, prodding, “nice pics, who clicked,” to which, he flirtatiously replied, “The one with pretty eyes.”

Ananya has another reason to be in Goa. She’s started filming for Shakun Batra’s next. Her co-stars, Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi, flew out to join her on Friday to weave this tale of complex urban relationships.

Meanwhile, Bhumi Pednekar went on a three-temple pilgrimage in her native village of Pedne, seeking solace in these difficult times. 

Besides cooking, actor discussing projects with Sriram Raghavan, Amar Kaushik, Sajid Nadiadwala, KJo; set for quiet 33rd today
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 24, 2020)

Birthdays have always been about work or celebration for Varun Dhawan, but owing to the Coronavirus pandemic, it is going to be a quiet 33rd for the actor today. Mirror has learnt that he will be spending the day with his family at his Juhu residence and will continue to extend his support to those in need. “Varun will be giving money and food to daily wage workers, making the day special for them as well,” revealed a source close to the actor, pointing out that over the last one month, he has contributed to the PM-Cares Fund and the Maharashtra State CM Relief Fund besides joining hands with the Tata Trust to supply food daily to doctors and medical staff, as also those without homes or jobs.

Meanwhile, now that he is confined to his home, like most across the country, Varun has set a routine which he follows religiously. A cup of warm water as soon as he wakes up, followed by a long workout in the in-house gym. The actor is also trying his hand at cooking. “He has learnt to make the perfect omelette,” informed the source.

Evenings are for PlayStation online with a childhood friend who lives a few buildings away. The buddies spend a couple of hours playing games. Varun loves being around his young niece, too, and is actively involved in keeping people entertained on digital platforms by shooting for a show in his house twice a week.

“He has been under a lot of stress after learning that four people he knew have tested positive. Fortunately they have all recovered and this has reaffirmed his faith in God. Like he had as a child, Varun has started praying again, once in the morning and once before going to the bed,” added the source.

The actor had a film coming up on May 1, dad David Dhawan’s 45th directorial, Coolie No 1, an official adaptation of the 1995 Govinda and Karisma Kapoor-starrer by the same name. The final print of the comic-caper is almost locked, with just some post-production work remaining. In the current scenario, however, there is a lot of uncertainty over its release.

In a couple of months, Varun was to kick off Sriram Raghavan’s biopic on 1971 war hero, Arun Khetarpal. He continues to be in constant touch with Sriram over video calls, discussing the script and understanding the nuances of his character. He is also talking to other producers and directors on what’s happening in the industry and reading two scripts a week so he can have a formidable line-up in place once normalcy resumes.

“He is discussing a probable collaboration, a comedy, with Stree director Amar Kaushik, but things are still in the nascent stage. He is also in talks with Sajid Nadiadwala and Karan Johar for other projects,” shared the source, adding that the actor has also been revisiting a lot of Hindi classics, including Vijay Anand’s Guide and Tere Mere Sapne.
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Amid rumours suggesting Varun Dhawan will announce engagement to girlfriend Natasha Dalal, David Dhawan says low-key birthday for star son
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; April 24, 2020)

When normalcy returns, Varun Dhawan may well host a glitzy bash that mentor Karan Johar would approve of. For now though, an intimate celebration is on the cards for the star who turns 33 today. The actor plans to spend the big day with dad David, mother Lali, brother Rohit and family, who stay a few floors above him in a Juhu highrise.

It was originally supposed to be a working birthday for the actor as Coolie No 1 was slated to release on May 1. "The family had considered formally announcing Varun's engagement to long-time girlfriend Natasha Dalal on the occasion. However, given the current scenario, they have decided to do it at an appropriate time," says a source.

Though tight-lipped on the subject of Varun-Natasha's engagement, filmmaker David says he is glad the family is together on the star's big day. "It will be a quiet family affair. Over the past few weeks, Varun has been with us, and has been taking care of Lali and me. He is especially concerned about me as I am diabetic," he says. Ask him about the fate of Coolie No 1, and the filmmaker says, "It's my 45th film as a director. I think people will want to watch comedy [post the crisis]. Work on the film is underway."

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 18, 2020)

The year began with the promise of two big, fat Indian weddings in Tinsel town — rumours were rife that Varun Dhawan and longtime girlfriend Natasha Dalal were set to exchange vows this summer while Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal's four-year romance would get its happily-ever-after with an April wedding. However, with the Coronavirus outbreak in the country, it may be a while before either couple walks down the aisle.

A source reveals that in light of the recent developments, the Dhawans have shifted their wedding dates to the second half of the year. "The initial plan was to have an intimate wedding on a private island in Thailand, but it was scrapped last month in favour of a destination wedding in Jodhpur. Eventually, they called that off too and were considering having a low-key ceremony in Mumbai. But looking at the current scenario, they have decided to tentatively push the shaadi to November and have reverted to their original choice of destination — Thailand."

Chadha and Fazal too may postpone their round of band, baaja, baaraat. "Many of their guests were to fly in from the US and Europe for the do. Also, the couple was hoping to have their nuptials in Delhi, which is currently on a partial lockdown. So, they think it's best to delay the wedding to later this year," says a source close to the couple.

Anil Dhawan says actor-nephew expected to wed girlfriend Natasha Dalal this year
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 14, 2020)

On Wednesday, David and Karuna Dhawan, along with sons Rohit and Varun, were spotted arriving at Natasha Dalal’s suburban residence. The family was followed by more guests, in ethnic finery, including Varun’s mentor, Karan Johar, and Manish Malhotra. The fashion designer’s nephew, Punit Malhotra, whose father is David’s first cousin, was also in attendance.

Soon after, the social media was abuzz with reports that the Dhawans and the Dalals had congregated for the roka ceremony of Varun and Natasha, his long-time girlfriend. Around 12:45 am, Varun logged in to his Twitter account to deny it. “Hey guys before you let your imagination run wild it was a birthday party. Wanted to clarify before any false news is spread cheers (sic),” the actor informed. Buzz is, it was Natasha’s father, Raju Dalal’s birthday.

While social media clarifications are traditionally known to put an end to rumours, chatter around Varun and Natasha’s impending wedding has only intensified since Wednesday night. One of the several things to stand out from the evening was the pink goodie bags the guests left with. “Thank you for being here today! Looking forward to celebrate with you,” read the message on these bags, signed off by the Dalal family.

When Mirror reached out to Varun’s uncle Anil Dhawan, he described the event as just a meeting of two families. “We hadn’t met each other in a long time and we don’t know each other well. So, they invited us over for dinner. It was a birthday party, but they wanted the families to meet as well, as everyone is busy with their respective lives,” he added.

When asked if, as reported, the couple is planning a May or June wedding, Anil said, “No date or month has been fixed yet. It will be announced whenever it happens.” But will it happen this year? “Hona toh chahiye. It’s high time Varun got married. We all want it (to happen),” he said.

Varun and Natasha’s earliest joint appearance happened in May 2018, at Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja’s wedding reception. They stood out as endearing after photos of Varun helping his ladylove navigate the paparazzi came out. More public appearances and romantic getaways ensued. They kicked off the new year by posing for a couples’ portrait with Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli and Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan in Gstaad. Last week saw them colour-coordinate in all-black for the Armaan Jain-Anissa Malhotra wedding.


Clockwise from top: Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra, David and Anil Dhawan on Wednesday