Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt begin wedding festivities

Celebrations began on Wednesday at Kapoor's home, Vastu, with a mehndi and sangeet ceremony

Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt arrive for a Christmas Day brunch in Mumbai in 2020. AFP

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt at a promotional event of their film 'Brahmastra Part One: Shiva' in New Delhi. Photo: NurPhoto

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt at Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja's wedding reception in Mumbai on May 8, 2018, their first public appearance as a couple. AFP

Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor at a concert by maestro Shankar Mahadevan to highlight the importance of organ donation, at the Nehru Centre in Mumbai on November 18, 2017. AFP

Alia Bhatt's father Mahesh Bhatt and half-sister Pooja Bhatt arrive for Alia and Ranbir Kapoor's mehndi and haldi functions on April 13, ahead of their wedding. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Ranbir Kapoor's cousins Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karishma Kapoor arrive. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Ranbir's aunt Reema Jain arrives at Vastu, Ranbir's home. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Alia Bhatt's father Mahesh and half-sister Pooja. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Neetu Kapoor, the groom's mother. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Ranbir Kapoor's cousin Armaan Jain. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Director and producer Karan Johar. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Ranbir's sister Riddhima Kapoor Sahani, brother-in-law Bharat Sahni and niece Samaira. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Ranbir's sister, Ridhima Kapoor Sahani. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Armaan Jain's wife, Anissa Malhotra. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Ranbir's best friend Ayan Mukerji. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

The most anticipated Bollywood wedding of the year is currently under way in Mumbai. Actor Ranbir Kapoor, 39, is set to marry actress Alia Bhatt, 29, on Thursday, with only close friends and family in attendance.

Festivities began on Wednesday with a mehndi ceremony in the afternoon, followed by a sangeet in the evening.

Kapoor’s mother Neetu Singh confirmed the wedding date to photographers outside the actor's home, Vastu, in Bandra, Mumbai, which is the venue for all the functions. Paparazzi photos of the families heading to Vastu have already made their way to social media, though it may be a while before fans can get a glimpse of the ceremonies.

Scroll through the gallery below to see more photos of the couple and guests arriving for the events.

Ranbir Kapoor's mother Neetu Singh arrives for the wedding festivities. Photo: Pallav Paliwal

Security has been beefed up and there are reportedly more than 200 bouncers at the venue, with phone cameras being taped off at the venue entrance.

Kapoor and Bhatt belong to illustrious film dynasties. Popular stars in the former's clan include Kapoor's great-grandfather Prithviraj; grandfather Raj; uncles Shammi and Randhir; and cousins Kareena and Karisma.

He is also the son of actress Singh and late actor Rishi.

Bhatt, meanwhile, is the daughter of actress Soni Razdan and director and producer Mahesh Bhatt. Her half-sister, actress Pooja, and uncle, producer Mukesh, also share the family name.

The functions on Wednesday will be followed by the wedding ceremony on Thursday. It is rumoured that Bhatt will wear a Sabyasachi design for the ceremony, following in the footsteps of several actresses who have chosen the designer for their big day in the past few years, and designs by Manish Malhotra for the other events.

Despite the wedding being a close-knit affair, featuring mostly the couple's good friends and family members, celebrities such as Varun Dhawan, Karan Johar, Ayan Mukerji and Sanjay Leela Bhansali will also be attending the ceremony.

Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor, left, and Alia Bhatt pose for a photograph during a promotional event for their film 'Brahmastra' in New Delhi on December 15, 2021. NurPhoto

It is believed the couple will host a big reception at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai on Sunday, which will feature a star-studded guest list including Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor.

Kapoor and Bhatt made their first big public appearance together in May 2018 at actress Sonam Kapoor’s wedding reception. The couple were originally due to get married in 2020, but the wedding was postponed owing to the pandemic, and was delayed further so they could wrap up the first part of their film Brahmastra Part One: Shiva.

The film marks the first time Kapoor and Bhatt will be seen on the big screen together.

Brahmastra Part One: Shiva is part of a trilogy, and is currently scheduled to be released on Friday, September 9. The plot of the superhero film, directed by Kapoor's close friend Mukerji, has been kept closely under wraps. It also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna Akkineni.

On Wednesday, Mukerji also released a teaser of the first song, Kesariya, from the film, to coincide with the first day of the wedding festivities.

The Indian palace hotels where Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities have weddings — in pictures

Fireworks explode in the sky over Umaid Bhawan Palace, the venue of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas's wedding. Photo: Reuters

Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur. Photo: Taj Hotels

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas at the mehendi ceremony before their wedding at Umaid Bhawan Palace. Photo: Raindrop Media via AP

Simran Kaur Mundi, former Miss India Universe, tied the knot with her Bollywood producer husband Gurickk Maan at Baradari Palace in Patiala city. Photo: Baradari Palace

Inside the 19th-century Baradari Palace. Photo: Baradari Palace

All of the hotel's suites are named after former maharajas of Patiala, and fitted with portraits of kings and queens. Photo: Baradari Palace

The palace was commissioned by the erstwhile king of Punjab, Maharaja Rajinder Singh, in 1876. Photo: Baradari Palace

It is said that Neemrana Fort Palace was the first property in Rajasthan to host a secret royal wedding in 1992, involving a chartered plane and a custom-created chapel lit up with a 1,000 candles. Photo: Neemrana Fort Palace

The Sheela Mahal room at Neemrana Fort Palace. Photo: Neemrana Fort Palace

The Chandra Mahal suite is rumoured to be actress Kate Winslet's favourite. Photo: Neemrana Fort Palace

An aerial view of the Surya Kund swimming pool at Neemrana Fort Palace. Photo: Neemrana Fort Palace

Deo Bagh is the only garden hotel in Gwalior. Photo: Deo Bagh

Deo Bagh features two 17th and 18th-century Maratha temples, two cenotaphs and a pavilion with 36 arched gateways. Photo: Deo Bagh

A suite in the Deo Bagh heritage hotel. Photo: Deo Bagh

Intimate dining at Deo Bagh. Photo: Deo Bagh

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif recently wed actor Vicky Kaushal at the Six Senses Fort Barwara. Photos: Six Senses Fort Barwara

Dining at Six Senses Fort Barwara. Photos: Six Senses Fort Barwara

A deluxe Barwara suite. Photos: Six Senses Fort Barwara

The outdoor terrace of the Barwara suite. Photos: Six Senses Fort Barwara