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An April wedding for Abhishek, Aishwarya

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Actors Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan.

MUMBAI: Bollywood's most talked about pair -- Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai -- will take the plunge into matrimony on April 20 in a ``small, intimate affair'' without the usual trappings of film industry weddings. Unlike the recent Liz Hurley-Arun Nayar wedding, where the paparazzi went berserk, the Abhi-Ash marriage will be a very private affair at the Bachchans' home Prateeksha here at Juhu, sources close to the couple said on Tuesday.

``The families met and a decision has been taken on the date,'' a source told PTI.

``It will be a small family affair attended by close friends like Mukesh and Tina Ambani and Amar Singh. The ceremonies are likely to be spread out over three days, culminating in the marriage on April 20,'' the source said. Only the Bachchans' close friends -- who could be as few as 15 -- will be invited to the wedding.

Speculation about the date and venue for the marriage has been rife since 31-year-old Abhishek and Aishwarya, 33, got engaged on January 14.

The Bachchans and Aishwarya consistently denied all reports about a date for the marriage but on Tuesday the actress's manager Hari Singh said he could neither confirm nor deny the news.

Sources said the wedding would be held on April 20, "Akshay Tritiya", considered the year's most auspicious day by most Hindus. The wedding date was apparently advanced because of the condition of Amitabh's mother Teji, who has been under treatment at Lilavati Hospital here for some months.

Since rumours of the Abhishek-Aishwarya romance began floating from the sets of their film ``Umrao Jaan'' in 2005, the couple has consistently maintained silence and refused to speak about the relationship in public.

After their engagement, they were seen in public, hand in hand, and visited various temples to perform pujas, but it was Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan who did the talking on the forthcoming wedding.

Former Miss World Aishwarya, described as a ``simple'' and ``domesticated'' girl by Amitabh, is said to be a ``manglik'' and had to make trips to several temples "to nullify the bad omen".

At a recent film awards ceremony, Jaya extended an emotional welcome to her future daughter-in-law. ``She has a beautiful heart and a beautiful smile and I welcome her into the family,'' she said, bringing tears to Aishwarya's eyes. The young couple are currently busy fulfilling their Bollywood commitments, with Aishwarya wrapping up Ashutosh Gowarikar's ``Jodha Akbar'' and Abhishek filming Goldie Behl's ``Drona''. - PTI.

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An April wedding for Abhishek, Aishwarya

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