Abhishek-Viveik at Shaad's shaadi

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sheetal

@sheetald

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

Shaad Ali

Shaad Ali, son of filmmaker-designer Muzaffar Ali and politician Subhashini Ali, married childhood sweetheart Shazneen Hussain in a quiet but grand ceremony at the beautifully decorated Taj Residency Hotel in Lucknow three days ago.

The wedding ceremonies started from January 26, while the mehendi, nikaah and reception were held on January 27 and 28, at a five star hotel in Lucknow. The pre-wedding ceremonies were held at Shaad's Lucknow kothi. Muzzaffar Ali designed the wedding invites.

Royal lineage

Abhishek Bachchan (left) and Viveik Oberoi

His ex-wife, Subhashini, received guests along with her freedom-fighter mother, Captain Lakshmi Sehgal, a one-time associate of Subhash Chandra Bose. Shazneen's maternal uncle, Wajahat Habibullah, played host from the bride's side, together with his mother, Begum Hamida Habibullah.

Says Muzaffar, who is busy entertaining guests at the family's ancestral Anhalwara Palace in Kotwara (he is the raja of Kotwara), in Uttar Pradesh, "Right now, we are celebrating Shaad's wedding here. The nikaah took place on January 28. It was a classic gathering of friends; a very good wedding, with very positive vibrations."

What they wore

Muzaffar Ali

What did the bride and groom wear? "Shaad wore a sherwani designed by me, while Shazneen's outfit was her grandmother's wedding joda. It's a strange coincidence, but when her grandmother got married, my sister's father had dressed her," says the proud father.

Who attended?

"Shaad's friends from the film industry, Viveik Oberoi, Abhishek Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Jaya Bachchan, Amar Singh and Subroto Roy, and some of my old friends, like Pakistani High Commissioner Aziz Ahmad Khan and his wife, J J Irani, Richard Holkar, the Maharana of Udaipur and the Spanish ambassador attended from my side."

UP Governor T V Rajeshwar and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav were some of the other attendees. Shaad's close friends Rani Mukerji, Rekha, Mani Ratnam, Ajay Devgan, and Yash Chopra were some of the star invitees who couldn't attend.

The spread

The cuisine was Awadhi. Rizwan Ahmad, a well-known chef, provided the lavish spread. The menu included kebabs, galawati, pasanda, kakori and boti, lagan raan, machli mussallam and murg korma. The variety of breads included sheermal, bakar-khani, Afghani roti, besides the usual roomali roti and naan.

Meet the bride...

Shaad Ali was engaged to Shazneen in a ceremony in Lucknow last August. This is a love-cum-arranged match. When we had contacted Shaad, he reluctantly let on, "We've known each other since our school days; our families also know each other."

Said Muzaffar Ali, "We have known their family since generations. Shazneen is from one of Lucknow's most venerated families. Her grandfather was General Habibullah, and her mother was painter Romana Hussain. Her dad, Ishat Hussain, works with the Tatas."