They have cried wolf so many times that when Rani Mukerji finally married Aditya Chopra — with whom she was in a serious relationship for close to a decade — in an unassuming ceremony on April 21 in Italy, it took a little time for the industry to digest the fact.
The proceedings for Adi's divorce from his first wife Payal took three years. It also took that much time for Yash and Pam Chopra to warm up to their second bahu-to-be.
So, what triggered their sudden decision to marry? Well, three weeks ago, Rani's father Ram Mukerji, who is fitted with a pacemaker, collapsed and was immediately hospitalised. He kept repeating, "The only thing I want before anything untoward happens to me is to see my daughter married". And, in what can only be described as true filmi style, standing by his bedside, Adi promised the senior Mukerji that the dilwala would take his dulhaniya away, with the blessings of both their parents.
On Friday night, the Mukerjis and the Chopras decided that the venue would be Italy. On Saturday night, Krishna, Ram and Raja Mukerji took a flight as did Pam and Uday Chopra. Karan Johar also flew the same night. A priest accompanied the families and the wedding took place according to Bengali tradition.
An insider says, "We knew that the marriage was taking place this weekend. Pam cancelled the usual Saturday film screening that she holds at Yash Raj Films (YRF) for the khandaan. No friends or relatives other than the immediate family were alerted about the wedding."
Of course, everyone knew that this would be the final outcome.
After all, Rani is addressed as 'malkin' (mistress/owner) by all and sundry at YRF. She had been reportedly living in with Adi at his Vikas Park residence, which is diagonally opposite her own Theosophical Colony home, for years now.
