In the two years since Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal got married, the couple has given us glimpses into their lives — from their intimate wedding to their vacations and their funny reels. But this time around, Sonakshi has revealed what went down before that. Appearing on Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi’s chat show Double Date, the actor opened up about one of the most emotional moments of her life when she told her father, veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, that she wanted to marry Iqbal.

Sonakshi recalled that despite being certain about her relationship with Iqbal, she was terrified of breaking the news to her father.

She recounted, “I was really scared to tell my dad. One day, I went to him and said, ‘I love this guy and want to marry him’. He asked me his name and what he does for a living. Then he suddenly said, ‘Haan, maine dekha tha newspaper mein’. I was surprised and asked him whether my mom (Poonam Sinha) hadn’t told him. I had told my mom two years earlier that I was dating Zaheer, and had asked her to tell my dad. But it took me two years to tell him myself.”

She further shared that after her parents spent time with the couple and witnessed their bond, their apprehensions disappeared. Sonakshi added, “My heart broke a little when dad told me, ‘Why did you wait so long? Mujhe bataya kyun nahin?’”

Actors Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal, who married in 2024, seem to be one of the happiest star couples of Bollywood. A major reason behind this is their social media PDA. Fans adore their real-life chemistry!

Months after celebrating their first wedding anniversary, Sonakshi reveals that she and Zaheer did suffer a three-year itch during their relationship.

In a recent podcast with Soha, Sonakshi shares, “I had a phase just when we were 3 years into the relationship where we just wanted to pull each other’s hair out. And no matter what we did, we just couldn’t understand each other’s perspective. But we knew that we had to make it work, and we did actually try couples therapy.”

Sonakshi recalls, “I was open to it, and I’m glad I was because in just 2 sessions, it helped out so much in understanding the way the other person thinks... Not to take certain things personally, to understand where the person is coming from, a lot of different factors came into play in just helping us understand each other better. In 2 sessions! Like literally that’s all it took.”

Before tying the knot in a civil ceremony, Sonakshi and Zaheer dated for 7 years.

Sonakshi Sinha is having the time of her life. The actor, who is all set to make her Telugu debut, has been basking in wedded bliss, having married her best friend, actor Zaheer Iqbal last year.

Since theirs is an interfaith union, some end up wondering whether this aspect plays a role in their marriage. Addressing it on the weekly show The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra, Sonakshi shares, “No, it’s never played a role. There are certain customs he and his family follow that I respect, and certain customs my family follows, which they respect. That’s the beauty of being brought up in a country with diverse religions.”

The actor also asserts, “Religion is something that will never come in between the two of us. There’s never been a fight or tension when it comes to this. Our strength lies in respecting each other.”

Asked whether her parents (actor Shatrughan Sinha and politician Poonam Sinha) give Zaheer typical ‘damad ji’ treatment or treat him like her brothers Luv and Kush, Sonakshi replies with a laugh, “100% damad! When he’s home, everybody runs helter-skelter ki, ‘Damad ji aa rahe hain!’ Food has to be ready, my mom will ask me, ‘Kya khayega?’ She wants to cook elaborate dishes for her damad ji. Dad loves spending time with him, they have become really good friends. When they’re together, I’m usually khamosh!”

As for how they keep the love alive, having dated for seven years before they got married, the 38-year-old notes, “We say we want to find someone we want to grow old with. After being with a person like Zaheer, you realize you need someone you can remain a child with. Ussi se hansi mazak barkarar rehta hai. You are constantly laughing. This was something I was missing in my life. Ab aa chuka hai, toh I couldn’t be happier.”

Last month, Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal marked their first wedding anniversary. After dating for seven years, the couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony surrounded by close friends and family on June 23, 2024. The wedding, full of warmth, laughter, and love, marked the beginning of a beautiful new chapter for them.​

Reflecting on their married life, Sonakshi shares, “Obviously, we started spending a lot more time together after marriage, and it’s been so much fun. I highly recommend marriage — especially when you’re marrying your best friend. People say things change after marriage, but for us, nothing has. And even if it has, it’s for the better.”

The couple is often asked whether they plan to expand their family. To that, Sonakshi says, “My rishtedaars often ask me about it, and my answer to them is, jab hoga tab pata chal jayega aapko. Isko chhupa thodi sakte hain (laughs).”

On the work front, Sonakshi is all set to make her Telugu debut with the supernatural thriller Jatadhara, where she appears in a dramatically different look. “My dad was very impressed with the first look. But then, whatever I do, my dad is my biggest cheerleader. However, the response to it has been good, as I’ve never been seen in this avatar before. Getting into that character was difficult, but it was a very satisfying experience for me as an actor.

Although she will soon be seen in a supernatural film, during movie nights with Zaheer, horror films are strictly off the list. “I have stopped watching horror films with him because he scares me all the time. Watching horror films with him is like an adventure sport. We plan to watch other genres together, but then one of us invariably falls asleep. Our timelines often don’t match, so we end up watching content separately,” she shares.

Salman Khan cycling through the streets of Bandra was once a familiar and cherished sight. The Bollywood superstar has always preferred this eco-friendly and healthy mode of travel for short distances around his home. It wasn’t uncommon to spot him riding from Galaxy Apartments to Mehboob Studios. However, ever since the attack on his house last year, Salman has been under heavy security, which has brought his cycling routines in the city to a halt. When asked if he misses riding around Bandra, Salman admitted, “Of course! I do miss it, but I still manage it at the farm (in Panvel).”

Speaking to us at the unveiling of Season 2 of the Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL), where he serves as the brand ambassador, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor reminisced about learning to ride from his father, Salim Khan – a memory that clearly holds sentimental value. It’s a skill he has proudly passed on to the next generation.

“I taught my nephews Arhaan (Arbaaz Khan’s son) and Nirvaan (Sohail Khan’s son) to bike at our farm. They used to take turns and do wheelies at a young age. Their turns were such that they would grind the footrest on the ground,” shared the actor.

Salman also raised concerns about the growing trend of reckless biking stunts on Mumbai’s streets, particularly those done without safety measures. “I have lost a friend of mine, Timmy, when this Bandra Reclamation was under construction. They used to have these races, and he won the race, but his helmet got stuck and he couldn’t apply the brakes in time. This resulted in a crash, and he passed away.”

He also spoke about one of the best bikers he knows, saying, “You know (Zaheer) Iqbal’s father Iqbal Ratansi, he was one of the most amazing riders I have ever seen,” he said.

Last year, Salman had shared a picture on Instagram, where he was seen posing with a vintage bike alongside his father. He captioned it: ‘Dad’s 1st bike, Triumph Tiger 100, 1956.’ Getting nostalgic, he told us, “He bought this bike when he was 16 years old for Rs. 4800.”

The legendary writer later parted with the bike, but he would often recall it in conversations with Sohail Khan. Salman shared, “Sohail sourced this bike. It was lying in a junkyard in Hyderabad. So, we got this bike from Hyderabad, sourced all the parts (that were missing) and restored it for him.”

Eid has been a special moment for Salman and his fans, who gather in huge numbers to catch a glimpse of him waving from his balcony. However, this year the moment came with a stark change as the actor was seen behind a bulletproof glass barrier.

Reacting to this, he said, “It is not because of any other reason, but we had to do something about the security because sometimes we would find some fan sleeping in the balcony. They used to climb up and sleep on the balcony, so we had to cover that place.”

Sonakshi Sinha began her career as a quintessential commercial film heroine with Dabangg , followed by a string of masala entertainers. However, over time, she made a conscious effort to break the mould with nuanced roles in films like Lootera and Akira . She further pushed the envelope with powerful performances in OTT series like Dahaad and Heeramandi, where she portrayed a character with grey shades.

Sonakshi is glad that filmmakers are now seeing her in a new light. She says, “I am glad that directors have started thinking out of the box in terms of presenting me as an actor, and I am grateful for that. As a creative person, I go for stories, roles and ideas that really stir something in me.”

Sonakshi also expressed a desire to reunite with her husband, Zaheer Iqbal, on screen. The couple had shared screen space in Double XXL (2022). While they would love to be a part of a project again, they have a hatke idea in mind for such a project.

Zaheer says, “Sonakshi and I should both play negative roles.” Sonakshi added, “Yes, the two of us as villains pitted against everyone.”

Sonakshi Sinha has found that perfect balance between her professional and personal lives. As the actor nears a year of being married to Zaheer Iqbal, she says that having a partner from the same profession definitely makes life easier.

“Of course, we talk about our work at home with each other. Our work is a big part of our lives. I love getting to know his insight on things. We share whatever is happening in our professional lives, like my scripts. He’s the first person I want to share everything with anyway. If there’s even a work meeting, I tell him. It gives me perspective,” says the 37-year-old, who is currently working on her next film, Jatadhara.

It’s said that falling in love is easy — it’s staying in love that requires hard work. Ask Sonakshi if she feels this holds any truth, and she replies, “When we were dating, we used to become best friends and bi**h about each other, to each other! Honestly, it’s been as easy as falling in love. With the right person, there’s great understanding about what relationships involve. We don’t get rattled by the hard times and don’t avoid uncomfortable conversations.”

And how do they approach posting about their lives on social media? “Everyone is sharing what they want to portray their lives as. We are happy to share our happiness with others. The beauty of it is that you post what you want to, not each and every detail of your life,” she ends.

Diwali has always been a grand family affair at Ramayan, Sonakshi Sinha’s parents’ home in Mumbai. This year, it is going to be extremely special for the actress as she will be celebrating it for the first time there with her husband, Zaheer Iqbal.

Beaming with joy, Sonakshi tells us, “It’s my first Diwali post marriage and it feels extremely special because finally I am celebrating it with my husband. We do Diwali puja at home and then spend time with the family, and this time we have a new member (Zaheer), so it’s going to be all about love and togetherness. What I am excited about the most is that it will be Zaheer’s first Diwali in Ramayan (Zaheer screaming from behind… as a married man!). Well, you can sense his excitement. I will also have folks from my sasural joining us.”'

For Sonakshi, the festival has always been about lights and colours. Sharing memories from her childhood, the Heeramandi actress says, “I have always enjoyed doing rangoli. I would sit with my house help and come up with creative designs. I would also love decorating diyas and arranging the mirchi lights. I never enjoyed bursting crackers because early on, it was instilled in us that bursting crackers isn’t good for the environment. Also, we had dogs, and they would be scared of crackers. We only did one shagun ki phuljhadi to kick start the festivities.”

Ask Sonakshi if she is keen to host Diwali bashes with Zaheer in the future, and she is quick to add, “We really want to, but both Zaheer and I are bad planners. I don’t think we have the patience to put together a party. We put all our planning skills to use when we got married and I think we are done for a while (laughs).”

Just like Sonakshi, Zaheer, too, enjoys celebrating the festival and has fond childhood memories of it. She says, “Zaheer grew up in a building where every year, the kids would get together and celebrate Diwali. Since then, he goes back to the building every year to celebrate with the friends he grew up with. He loves the festival because it is all about togetherness, and we have so many friends who keep hosting get-togethers where people have a great time.”

We aren’t very different from each other, our core is the same,” says Sonakshi Sinha, as she sits down with hubby (a term she’s still getting used to), actor Zaheer Iqbal, in the same room where they exchanged vows, to share with us little known facts about their love story. The couple, who got married on June 23, have this lovely vibe about them – warm, easy, loving – and that reflected in their wedding celebrations, which they say was planned in all of 25 days.

Their big day was all about them, the people who love them and the simple things that matter to them. In an exclusive conversation with us, Sonakshi and Zaheer talk about their relationship, bonds with their family and how their wedding turned out to be just the way they’d imagined – perfect! Read on...

Sonakshi: It’s just the way we wanted it. And that’s just us, that is the kind of people we are, and we wanted our wedding day to reflect us. Right from sending out the invite, which a friend of ours quickly made for us, to the wedding afterparty – we wanted it to be chilled out. We didn’t want to have the whole rigmarole of multiple functions, and we were sure we wanted our wedding to be one big party. So, that is what it was – one day of having fun where everyone who truly loves us showed up to celebrate us.

Zaheer: The first time we met was at Salman bhai’s (Salman Khan) house. And strangely, we were both present at Salman bhai’s birthday parties (at his farm and Mumbai home, Galaxy) several times since 2013, but our paths never crossed. I didn’t know she was there, and she didn’t know that I existed. Then finally, we met at Galaxy one evening, when a few of us just chilled together, and that was our first interaction. But the first time we really spent a lot of time with each other was on June 23, 2017 (hence, we chose that date for our wedding). There was a screening of Tubelight and an afterparty, where we ended up spending five hours together. We kept chatting, and suddenly, we turned around and we were like…where did everyone else go? We knew that day there was something special here.

Sonakshi: I was always certain that I wanted to keep it simple and wear a red sari on my wedding day. I saw pictures of the red sari (on the store’s website), and my sister-in-law called for it. I saw how it looked on me, and I knew that was my bridal outfit. Over the years, I’ve done so many shoots decked in bridal outfits, so I was like…I can’t look like that on my wedding day. I wanted to be comfortable, be able to dance and have a good time. I wore my mom’s saree and jewellery for one of the functions, it felt perfect.

Zaheer: The reason why our relationship works is because we both are not superficial. So, for us, the day was about us getting married, it wasn’t about the clothes we were wearing or anyone or anything else. Very often, you hear about how couples are exhausted after their wedding. We wanted to make sure that we are not that couple, and we have a lot of fun on our special day.

Sonakshi: They did, but we told them this is what we wanted, and they were very supportive. In fact, my mom was very impressed that we planned the wedding entirely on our own and they didn’t have to fuss over it at all. We planned everything in 25 days. I was shooting, and one day when we were on set, we thought of it and quickly called dad and asked him if he was free on those dates (as prior to that he was busy, campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections). He told us to go ahead with it. Then after 15 days, we thought let’s make a list and start inviting people personally, so it was literally like that. The wedding happened right here, where we are sitting now, it was so personal. The beauty of it all was that the decor was underway, the food was being laid out, our friends were ordering pizza, walking in and out of our rooms, and all this while we were getting ready. It felt like a home party.

Zaheer: I went over to their house, and I was nervous, because until that moment, I had never had a one-on-one chat with him. The moment we started talking, we began discussing a million things and we became like friends. Of course, I also told him that I wanted to ask her to marry me. I know he’s got this image of being intimidating, but he’s so genuine, chilled out and he is the sweetest person I’ve met in a long time.

Sonakshi: When I told my father about us, even I was very nervous. I didn’t know how he would react. I was trying to play it really cool. I asked him, “Aren’t you worried about my marriage because you haven’t asked me anything about it?” He said, “I have asked your mom ki apni beti se pucho”. Then, I told him there is a guy called Zaheer in my life, and he said, “Haan, maine padha bhi tha.” (There was news about us in the media sometimes). He said, “You guys are grown-ups, miya biwi raazi toh kya karega qazi.” I was like, ‘Oh, that was easy!’ I realized how chilled out and cool my dad is. He was really supportive about our relationship.

Sonakshi: Both mom and dad were very emotional. Dad just appears strong about it, but from within, he’s a softie. He was standing right next to me, and I knew that he was feeling very emotional, so I held on to him and told him, don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere (her eyes swell up as she says this). My mom broke down during the wedding when she realized that I was actually going to be moving out of the house. Now, we visit them very often, in fact, I speak to my mom a lot more now, at least twice a day.

Sonakshi: Absolutely! I think it will be beautiful. But genuinely, we’re not that very different from each other. Our core values are the same. Basically, our parents have taught us to be good human beings and believe in God, irrespective of whatever name you know him by. The most important thing in life is to be a good person – that’s the kind of values we have imbibed.

Zaheer: I know one thing for sure, that I could have 50,000 disagreements with Sona, but it will never have anything to do with religion. Salim uncle (Salman Khan’s father) had once shared with me that this is what he had told Salma aunty’s parents when they got married.

Sonakshi: In the seven years that we were dating, the fact that we are from different faiths has never come up in a discussion. We both respect other religions. It’s never been an issue for us or even a discussion. The only noise is from the outside and we have learnt how to shut it out because it doesn’t matter. We are two people who love each other, and no one else has a say in it. Also, we are actors. We belong to every person. We belong to the audience who come from different faiths.

In the past 14 months, we’ve seen Sonakshi Sinha play five dramatically different women. While her maiden web series Dahaad (2023) saw her as a police officer from an oppressed caste, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar featured her as a ruthless courtesan and her revenge-seeking daughter. Over the weekend, we met two more versions of Sinha, as she played a double role again in Kakuda.

Is the variety of roles by design? Absolutely, the actor assures us. “It’s intentional. As an actor, I want to keep playing different roles. That’s what has kept me enthusiastic about my work after 14 years in the industry,” she says.

The change is all the more marked as Sinha, in the early years of her career, was often questioned about being part of hero-centric stories. But now, she stands proud as she fronts important stories.

“My hunger as a performer started increasing the day I switched gears. That hunger kept getting bigger and bigger; that’s why I [kept] choosing roles that were central to the plot and portrayed women in a strong light.”

Kakuda fits right in that plan. The ZEE5 horror comedy, also starring Riteish Deshmukh and Saqib Saleem, has been helmed by Munjya maker Aditya Sarpotdar. As much as Sinha loved the script, she had to take a beat before saying yes.

Reason? “I don’t even watch horror films because I am a scaredy cat,” she laughs. “But when I read this script, I could immediately see myself playing both Indira and Gomti. Aditya is a fantastic director. I loved his Zombivli [2022].”

If her professional life is flourishing, things are even more blissful on the personal front. Last month, she got married to long-time partner Zaheer Iqbal. The two had kept their relationship under wraps for seven years. Was it difficult to keep it away from the media glare? “It wasn’t. I am a low-key, private person. So, it happened organically. Also, I believe in keeping things that are close to my heart, close to my heart.”

In the days leading up to their wedding, the couple maintained their private demeanour, as rumours abounded about the Sinha family’s apparent displeasure over her shaadi.

“It was a happy time for me and for us. So, we were concentrating on that. When you are happy within yourself and with each other, and you are each other’s biggest strength, it gets very easy to drown out the noise. So, that’s what we did. We were focusing on us and our loved ones enjoying the big day.”

Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal might have kept their relationship under wraps for seven years, but their recent wedding was all over social media. “I feel everyone has attended my wedding,” laughs Sinha, adding, “In fact, Zaheer and I went to Singapore and at the coffee shop, people were sending us congratulatory messages with pastries. Everyone who came to us and spoke to us was like, ‘Oh, we have seen all the videos from your wedding’, and I was like, ‘Yes, everyone has been a part of our big day.”

The newlyweds just went for a “short and quick” honeymoon and even shared glimpses on social media: “Actually, my bestie had a baby five days before our wedding, so she couldn’t make it. So, we decided to go to Singapore to surprise her and meet the baby.”

The couple got married on June 23. It’s been barely two weeks and Sinha has already resumed work, promoting her upcoming film, Kakuda. “I am happy being back at work,” she says.

Since the two dated for many years, have their lives changed at all ever since they got married? “It’s great and that’s the beauty of it. Nothing much has really changed in my life except that I get to live with my best friend now. And that’s the most fun part. That’s what lovely relationships do, they don’t make you change who you are. He’s lovely. I am a lucky girl,” Sinha smiles.

Sharing a fun anecdote from her wedding, Sinha says how there was never a clear demarcation about guests from the groom’s and the bride’s side. “Zaheer and I were having tu-tu, main-main ki Saqib (Saleem; actor) kiske side se aayega. Ladke walon ke side se ya mere side se,” she laughs, and adds, “We have the same friends, hamare dost itne overlapping hain ki sab party badal rahe the. Ek din ladki wale the, ek din ladke wale the. Pata nahin kya ho raha tha, but we were very happy. We had the perfect wedding.”

Actor-singer Sushant Divgikr recently took to Instagram to address people gatecrashing celeb weddings. After attending Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s wedding reception in Mumbai on June 23, Divgikr hinted at seeing uninvited guests sneaking into the event. They wrote on Insta: “I can’t believe people will get fully dressed, pretend like they’re invited and sneak in!”

Ask them to elaborate on the post, and they lash out, “Koi sharam nahin hai, aagaye bas kisi ka naam leke. Just because somebody is trending, aap pahuch jaate hain.”

Divigkr feels PR teams might be facilitating the uninvited guests: “I know some industry people who attended the wedding without an invitation. Maybe unke PR ne bola hoga that they’ll procure an invitation.” 

They also expressed concern over the embarrassment caused to the hosts. “They fake it in such a way that it seems they actually know the bride and groom. I heard some saying, ‘Chalo ab aagaye andar, camera nikaalo’. Just for those two minutes of fame, people go to such lengths.”

Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has responded to the trolling his daughter Sonakshi Sinha is facing for her inter-faith marriage with actor Zaheer Iqbal. He firmly stated that no one has the right to comment on her marriage.

On Monday, a protest march was organised in Shatrughan’s native state of Bihar by a fringe group called Hindu Shiv Bhawani, calling the marriage ‘Love Jihad’ and demanding that Sonakshi never return to Bihar.

In an interview with Times Now, Shatrughan referenced the lyrics of late lyricist Anand Bakshi: “Kucch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna”. He added, “‘Kehne waale agar bekar, bekaam-kaaj ke ho to kehna hi kaam ban jata hai (for unemployed people, this is all the work they have). My daughter has done nothing illegal or unconstitutional.”

He continued, “A wedding is a very personal decision between two people; no one has the right to interfere or comment. To all the protestors, I say — go, get a life. Do something useful with your life. Aur kucch nahi kehna (I have nothing else to say).”

Sonakshi and Zaheer got married under the Special Marriage Act in Mumbai on June 23. Their registered marriage was an intimate affair, followed by a wedding reception the same night attended by celebrities including Salman Khan, Kajol, Tabu, Anil Kapoor and others.

While the pre-wedding gettogether of Sonakshi Sinha’s closest friends was an informal and private affair, the reception saw a galaxy of stars at an upscale venue, who let go of formalities as they hugged, danced and blessed the couple. There was no celebrity DJ or rehearsed performances, but the mood was upbeat thanks to the dholak players who greeted the guests as they walked in.

The couple even mingled freely with the paps, posing for groupfies and making them very much a part of the celebrations. The night ended with Sonakshi changing into a more comfy but festive red anarkali, as she danced her heart out with Zaheer Iqbal.

Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s wedding has been a talking point for the elegance and confidence with which the couple broke several conventions at once.

Right from the quirky invitation card, to their charmingly minimalistic look and the joyous afterparty, the uncurated wedding came as a refreshing break from the elaborate, templated affairs that have been the norm these days.

The morning was a cosy do, a registry attended by the couple’s family and friends. Sonakshi wore an intricate ivory chik ankari sari draped the usual way, a neat bun with gajra and a matching choker set. Instead of the default mehndi, she opted for spots of alta on her hands, that added a touch of auspicious red to the couple’s white-on-white look. “With the blessings of both our families and both our gods… we are now man and wife,” the couple wrote while sharing the photographs that evidently had been spared heavy airbrushing.

The reception saw Sonakshi dressed in a red brocade Banarasi with chand-buta detailing. Armchair fashion police pointed out that the motifs were a nod to their inter-faith marriage, but it was the couple’s unfiltered look that eventually stole the show. Sonakshi wore a streak of bright red sindoor, an emerald choker with a neat hairdo. Zaheer wore white – opting not to twin with the bride as is often the norm.

One hundred paps, a select guest list, the venue and the filmi lead-up — here’s all there is to know

Actor-couple Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal are getting married today, and glimpses from their pre-wedding festivities have surfaced online over the past few days. Initially, there was an apparent disapproval from Sonakshi’s family, but a picture of her father, actor-MP Shatrughan Sinha, with son-in-law Zaheer, silenced the rumours. Mum Poonam Sinha, too, joined the family get-together at Zaheer’s house on Thursday. Here’s all that we know:

Shatrughan Sinha’s close friend Shashi Ranjan confirmed in an interview that the couple will opt for a registered marriage to take place at the groom’s family home. He also revealed that Sona’s paternal uncles are flying down from the US. “Everybody’s participating. It is a very happy moment for me and the family,” he was quoted as saying by an entertainment portal.

A flurry of pics from the couple’s mehendi ceremony surfaced online on Friday. While Sonakshi opted for a minimalist look — a red and gold outfit — Zaheer wore a floral-printed kurta in white and red. They chose subtle decor with yellow and orange marigold flowers.

Zaheer’s father, Iqbal Ratansi, told Free Press Journal that Sonakshi will not convert to Islam after the wedding. “She is not converting and that is for sure. Theirs is a union of hearts and religion has no role to play whatsoever. I believe in humanity. God is called Bhagwan by Hindus and Allah by Muslims. But at the end of the day, we are all human beings. My blessings are with Zaheer and Sonakshi.”

As their wedding invitation confirmed, the couple will get married today at the Shilpa Shetty Kundra-owned Bastian - At The Top. The decor will mainly be in ivory and white. In keeping with never shying away from getting papped together, Sonakshi and Zaheer have invited 100 paparazzi, to be stationed in the lobby for capturing the guests arriving for the celebration. The celeb guest list — which, we’ve learnt has been kept very exclusive — includes names such as filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, actors Huma Qureshi, Varun Sharma, Poonam Dhillon, Daisy Shah and Aayush Sharma, with wife Arpita Khan Sharma.

After much speculation around their wedding, actor-couple Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal are set to tie the knot on June 23. And it looks like the festivities have already begun. On Monday night, Sinha shared several pictures on Instagram from what seems to be a bachelorette party. The snaps featured her bestie, actor Huma Qureshi and Iqbal’s sister, stylist Sanam Ratansi.

Now, we have learnt that the couple will host a haldi ceremony on June 20, three days before their wedding.

“The function will take place at Sonakshi’s new Bandra (Mumbai) home, which she bought after leaving her parents’ house. It will be a tight setting with only close friends and family. Less than 50 people have been invited for the function — that’s why they opted for Sona’s house as the venue,” says a source.

The insider also tells us that the bride-to-be is leaning towards unconventional decor for her haldi. The source shares, “She wants to keep the ambience minimal and has suggested certain ideas to the planners. Sonakshi is not going for a typical yellow and pink theme, as she wanted to avoid mainstream decor.”

Actors Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s reported upcoming wedding has become the talk of the town. After Sinha’s father, actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha denied any knowledge about her marriage, film producer Sarvesh Goel, who is producing Sinha-Iqbal’s next project titled Tu Hai Meri Kiran, is the latest to share that he was surprised by the news.

The actor-couple, who has been shooting for the film for the last two months, is expected to wrap up the final schedule by the end of this month.

Talking about the same, Goel shares, “We wanted Sonakshi and Zaheer to finish the shoot soon as the project is nearing completion, but we didn’t receive their dates. However, after the last day of the shoot on Sunday (June 9), we learned, from media reports, that they were getting married. So, now we understand that it was probably the wedding that caused the delay in dates.”

Goel adds that he’s confident that the couple’s chemistry would work in favour of the film. He shares, “The actors have worked together in the film Double XL (2022) and the music video Blockbuster. So,we are confident that this jodi will work well for our film as well.”

Sinha and Iqbal are reportedly set to tie the knot in Bastian, a Mumbai-based restaurant, on June 23. The wedding is going to be an intimate affair with the couple’s family and close friends in attendance.

Reports of Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s wedding have been the talk of the town since Sunday. The actors have been dating for over two years and reportedly plan to get married on June 23 with two-day festivities.

While they are yet to announce the wedding, family members have started addressing the news. Her father, actor-MP Shatrughan Sinha told Zoom: “I am in Delhi right now. After the election results, I flew down here. I haven’t spoken to anyone about my daughter’s plans. So your question is, is she getting married? The answer is that she hasn’t told me anything about it.”

The 77-year-old added, “Main bhi utna hi jaanta hun jitna maine media maine padha hai. If and when she takes me into confidence, my wife and I will give the couple my blessings. We wish her happiness and trust her judgement. She would never make an extra-constitutional or illegal decision. As a consenting adult, she has the right to make her own decisions.”

Even Sonakshi’s brother, Luv, had this to say in the matter, “I won’t be commenting. It’s better if you reach out to Sonakshi or the other person directly involved. All I can say is, I have nothing to say on this matter.”

Rumour has it that Sonakshi Sinha is all set to marry boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal on June 23 in Mumbai. Though they haven’t spoken about their relationship, they haven’t shied away from making public appearances together and have even featured in each other’s vacation pictures. As per reports, the wedding invites, designed like a magazine cover, have been sent out.

Both Sonakshi and Zaheer were launched in Bollywood by Salman Khan. Sonakshi made her debut with Dabangg in 2010 and Zaheer’s first film was Notebook in 2019. They shared screen space in the film Double XL (2022) and later in a music video.

While Zaheer shared a bunch of pictures on Sonakshi’s birthday on social media this year, last year, he had written a lengthy post in which he addressed their linkup rumours. He wrote, “Kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. You can always lean on me. You are the best. Keep “Roaring” and soaring always. May you see more of the world than anyone ever has. May you always live the mermaid life. Always be HAPPY. I love you (sic).”

In a recent interview with us, after she walked the ramp at the Bombay Times Fashion Week, Sonakshi spoke about her dream bridal wear. She said, “Whenever I get married, I would like to wear a classic red lehenga.”

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Recently, Sonakshi Sinha admitted on The Great Indian Kapil Show, “mujhe kitne zor se shaadi karni hai”. The actor’s manifestation seems to have come true, as she and actor Zaheer Iqbal are set to tie the knot this month. 

A source close to the couple confirms that Sinha and Iqbal, who “have been living together for a year now”, will get married on June 23 at the Mumbai-based restaurant, Bastian. “It’s going to be an intimate affair. Many of Sonakshi’s industry friends will also be a part of the special day too,” the insider says, while another elaborates, “There will be a celebration on June 22 at their family home in Juhu, for which only close friends and family are invited. The wedding will take place in the morning of June 23, while reception will be held in the evening.” 

The couple worked together in Double XL (2022) and met through actor Salman Khan, who gave both of them a break in Bollywood. One of the sources tells us that “the wedding planning had been on for a while”, adding, “The couple was waiting for the elections to get over as Sonakshi’s father (actor-MP) Shatrughan Sinha was busy contesting from Asansol, West Bengal for TMC party. He won, and now the wedding will be like a double celebration.”

Sonakshi Sinha’s words on The Great Indian Kapil Show, “mujhe kitne zor se shaadi karni hai” seem to have come true, as she and actor Zaheer Iqbal are set to tie the knot this month. 

According to reports, the couple’s wedding invite has been designed like a magazine cover that says “The rumours are true”.

With inputs by Akash Bhatnagar and Yashika Mathur