Countdown starts for Bunny’s D-day

The countdown has started for superstar Allu Arjun and Sneha’s marriage and over the next 10 days or so, the two families have jam-packed schedules.

The functions start on Wednesday when the star will be made a pellikoduku at his uncle Chiranjeevi’s residence. The muhurat has been fixed at 9.30 am and family members of both the bride and groom will attend. “A sumptuous, traditional breakfast and lunch will be served to a select gathering of 100-odd guests,” says a source close to the reigning star.

The sangeet ceremony is on March 3, and a select gathering of 400 guests — friends and family — will attend the function in the evening at a star hotel. “Even swipe cards were sent along with the invitations to restrict entries,” the source added.

Though the sangeet will be attended by a modest 400 guests, the wedding, on March 6, will be a gala affair and more than 10,000 guests, including stars, politicians, industrialists and other VIPs from across the state will attend the same.

“The list of Bunny’s friends alone goes up to 5,000 and a 50 member team had to work round-the-clock to distribute the invites,” the source adds. A separate reception for fans was supposed to be held at Palakolu on March 8, but when the estimated turnout crossed 1 lakh fans, the plans were changed and the venue shifted to Shilpakala Vedika, Madhapur. “We mailed invites to fans selectively since the auditorium cannot accommodate more than 10,000,” the source said.

On March 10th, the newly-weds will leave for Tirumala to seek the blessings of Lord Venkateswara before returning to the city on March 11, bringing the nine day celebrations to a close.

Though the groom has commissioned specially-made sherwanis from Delhi for the marriage, Hyderabad-based designer Shravan says that he has added some distinctive touches to the wardrobe of the bride and groom. “I have done seven kurtas of handloom and Pochampali in subtle colours for Bunny. For the bride, I have designed seven colourful saris and blouses but I am not sure how much of my stuff they will wear during the wedding. So, I could say that my contribution is minimal in their marriage trousseau,” he informs.