India's urban youth are partying at ‘fake weddings,’ no dulha, no drama, just dhol, reels
In a twist that only Gen Z could pull off with flair, Indian cities are witnessing the rise of a rather unorthodox trend known as the fake wedding. From Delhi to Bengaluru and even reaching university campuses in the United States, these events are becoming the next big (and bizarre) thing in urban party culture.
A fake wedding all the pomp of a traditional Indian wedding, sangeet, varmala, baraat, dhol and lehengas, minus the marriage itself. There’s no real bride or groom committing to anything except maybe some viral choreography. Instead, attendees gather to revel in a curated, commitment-free version of “shaadi season.”
Some of these events are now being ticketed, organised by professional party planners, with entry fees ranging from ₹500 to ₹3,000 depending on how lavish the setup is. One viral Instagram post even mentioned a two-day fake wedding organised at Cornell University, complete with food, rituals and costumes, just without the rishtedars, pressure or pheras.
For many young people, fake weddings are about joy, freedom and expression. There are no aunties asking personal questions, no family drama and no early morning rituals. It’s a glittering fantasy of a wedding which is tailor-made for Instagram, Snapchat and the dopamine of online validation.
Critics have called the trend frivolous and disrespectful, arguing that it reduces the sanctity of marriage to a theme party. “Have we lost the plot?” one user asked on X lamenting that a sacred union is now reduced to a content opportunity. Another remarked, “Long live capitalism,” referring to how even weddings, real or fake have become commodified.
Few others see in it a budding business model as fake weddings might just be the next frontier in event planning, which might fall somewhere between a flash mob and immersive theatre.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
