New Delhi, Nov 15: A public announcement, two weddings and a long tease later, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh released the first pictures as husband and wife on Thursday.
The marriage, one of the most awaited events in Bollywood calendar, was an intensely private and synchronised affair at scenic Lake Como's Villa del Balbianello in Italy. The couple honoured their South Indian and North Indian origins with twin nuptials.
Both Deepika and Ranveer shared the photographs simultaneously on their respective social media accounts.
In the South Indian style wedding, Ranveer can be seen wearing a cream-white and golden kurta-dhoti, while Deepika looked gorgeous in what appears to be a maroon Kanjeevaram sari. The couple is seen sharing a hearty laugh in the picture.
In the second picture, the couple twinned in red and gold outfits. Deepika wore a dupatta that had the blessing 'Sada Saubhagyavati Bhava' inscribed on it in gold letters. This picture has the couple engaged in a deep conversation.
Deepika's favourite couturier Sabyasachi designed the outfits for both the couple. The bride, for once, managed to force Ranveer to mellow down from his quirky, flamboyant style.
Media, both national and international, was stationed outside the venue but could only manage a series of grainy images and videos, mostly of the guests and family members, doing little to quench the thirst of the stars' fans.
Though the wedding date announcement was made public in October, the wedding itself was one of the most secretive celebrity nuptials in Bollywood as even guests, who were ensconced in resorts tucked high above the lake ringed by mountains, were asked to keep the phone camera away.
Singer Harshdeep Kaur, who reportedly performed at the sangeet ceremony Tuesday, had to take down a picture from social media, that showed her standing near the lake with her husband.
The couple were sheltered from the prying camera eyes of the paparazzi during the ceremony with the help of black umbrellas, which the guests carried with them. They also flanked Deepika and Ranveer as the rituals were underway, with the media guessing that the wedding was over only through cheers and fireworks.
Like everything, the theme was also colour-coordinated - gold and cream, followed by red and gold on day two.
The wedding date Thursday also marks the fifth anniversary release of their first film together - "Ram Leela" - on whose sets their love story is said to have taken off. The couple has been in a relationship for six years.
Deepika and Ranveer will host a reception each in Bengaluru and Mumbai on November 21 and 28, respectively.
"Such a stunning, gorgeous and beautiful couple. Nazar utar lo. Badhai ho. Love you both. Here is to a lifetime of love and joy, filmmaker Karan Johar tweeted Wednesday, later admitting that he too was eagerly waiting for the pictures.
The actors, who have also worked together in Bajirao Mastani and Padmavat , were photographed at the Mumbai airport leaving for Italy on November 10 in a blaze of camera flashes and they will reportedly stay there till November 17.
On November 10, Ranveer's stylist Nitasha Gaurav posted teasers of the pre-wedding rituals on Twitter.
No pictures but it was love personified to see them together today. Couldn't stop my tears, but these were tears of happiness and so I hope they never do. #DeepVeerKiShaadi #ranveerkishaadi #foreverlove, she wrote on the microblogging site.
Next big wedding in Bollywood is that of Priyanka Chopra, who is reportedly set to tie the knot with American singer Nick Jonas in December.
Actor Anushka Sharma, who married Indian cricket skipper Virat Kohli last year, was one of the firsts to congratulate the married couple.
"Wishing you both a world of happiness and beautiful journey together. May the love and respect you have in each other grow leaps and bounds. And welcome to the club," she wrote on Twitter.
"Lots of love and congratulations my RV and Dips," wrote Parineeti, who made her debut with Ranveer's film.
Bipasha Basu tweeted, "Love a great love story. So happy to see this beautiful couple together forever. Congratulations."
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.