Lavish, but not quite a spectacle

There was plenty of hype around Gali Janardhan Reddy’s daughter’s Rs 500 crore wedding, but people who attended the marriage say the event was a damp squib — only a few actors from Tollywood turned up while Bollywood was conspicuous by its absence. Not many from the corporate sector too were seen. Just a few politicians.

Stories that Reddy was willing to “pay any amount quoted by an actor like Shahrukh Khan or Katrina etc for their presence” obviously didn’t lure the stars. “Maybe the ban on big currency notes was a reason — even if one is willing to pay, not everyone wants to accept. And when there’s no payment, nobody attends either,” said a source.

Finally, only a few Tollywood stars attended and performed at the wedding. Rakul Preet Singh, Tamannah, Catherine and Brahmanandam were the only star attractions at the event. “The actresses performed for just three to four minutes and then left the wedding,” adds the source.

Talking of their remuneration, a source said, “There’s no chance of taking unofficial cash anymore. Rakul Preet Singh charged '10 lakh for her two minute dance performance, while Tamannah got a bit more,” said the source.
The main attraction at the wedding was the art work, where they had designed different kinds of buildings at the venue.

“They spent a lot to create the replicas of Bellary and the temple set. The food served was fabulous. And what stood out, justifying the '500 crore spend, is the diamonds and jewels worn by the families — the bride, groom, and all others in both families,” the source added.