Some of the biggest stars in India have landed in the historical city of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu to celebrate the wedding of South Indian superstar Nayanthara and film director Vignesh Shivan. The couple, who have been in a relationship for seven years, tied the knot early on Thursday morning in a traditional ceremony. A star-studded reception is soon to follow.
Shivan shared photos of the wedding on Thursday.
"On a scale of 10… She’s Nayan and I'm the one by God’s grace. Just married Nayanthara," he posted.
The bride and groom's outfits were custom-made by Jade, the label by designers Monica Shah and Karishma Swali, known for their use of Indian arts and crafts.
"Nayanthara wears a handcrafted saree in Jade’s signature Vermillion Red, custom-designed by Monica Shah. The intricately realised tone on tone embroidery is inspired by the carvings of the temples of Hoysala," the designers posted on Instagram. "In a thoughtful tribute to the actor’s love for tradition, Monica and Karishma reimagined Goddess Lakshmi motifs as bajubandh on the sleeves of the blouse. In addition, the Fourth Vow running across the ensemble has been personalised with the couple’s names, symbolising togetherness, commitment and mutual respect."
The groom's ensemble, meanwhile, resonates with four of the seven pheras — the sacred walks that the bride and groom take around the holy fire — signifying dharma, arth, kama and moksha, the designers said.
Each phera signifies a vow that the bride and groom make to each other, and only once they've completed the seven rounds, are they considered husband and wife.
Shivan wore a veshti, the sarong-like robe wrapped around his waist, paired with a kurta and shawl, handcrafted by Jade.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who will soon appear in a film with Nayanthara, was seen at the ceremony and so was Rajinikanth, one of the biggest and most revered Indian actors. Other major stars on the guest list included actors Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, Suriya, Ajith, Karthi, Vijay Sethupathi and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
Following a pre-wedding mehndi celebration on Wednesday, Nayanthara and Shivan married in an early morning ritual that reportedly began at 8.10am at Four Points by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort & Convention Centre, in the city famous for its Unesco World Heritage Sites.
Khan's manager Pooja Dadlani Gurnani shared a photo of the star arriving for the ceremony, dressed in a beige Nehru jacket paired with a white shirt.
"For Nayanthara’s Special Day," she wrote.
Entry to the resort is limited to only guests with an entry code, and a big reception is planned for Friday. The dress code for the reception is ethnic pastels, according to the wedding invitations seen by Indian media.
The wedding was initially meant to be held in Tirupati, known for its ancient Hindu temples, but was moved to Mahabalipuram owing to "logistical issues".
"We wanted to call our friends and family members, and we can’t take everyone there. So, we have to decide to get married, here, in Mahabalipuram," Shivan told Chennai Times.
Who are Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan?
Popularly referred to as the "lady superstar" of Indian cinema, Nayanthara is one of the biggest actors in South India, known for her work in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. She's also the only actress from South India to make it to No 69 on Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list in 2018, with an estimated earning of 150 million rupees.
Born Diana Kurian in Kerala, Nayanthara made her acting debut in 2003 with the Malayalam film Manassinakkare and has since starred in more than 75 films. She will make her Bollywood debut with Khan in Jawan, an action film set to be released in 2023.
Nayanthara and Shivan first met when she starred in his 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, an action-comedy which also featured Sethupathi. The pair began dating soon after but only made their relationship Instagram-official in 2021 after Shivan proposed to Nayanthara. That year, they also launched their production company Rowdy Pictures.
'It's Nayan's day'
Hours before the wedding ceremony on Thursday, Shivan posted a tribute to his future wife on Instagram, calling her "My thangamey", which translates to "my gold" in Tamil.
"Today is June 9 and it’s Nayan’s. Thanking God, the universe, the goodwill from all the lovely human beings who have crossed my life. Every good soul, every good moment, every good coincidence, every good blessing, every day at shooting and every prayer that has made life this beautiful," he shared. "I owe it all to the good manifestations and prayers.
"Now, it’s all dedicated to the love of my life! Nayanthara, my thangamey, excited to see you walking up the aisle in a few hours. Praying to God for all the goodness and looking forward to starting a new chapter officially in front of our beloved family and the best of friends."
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
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Power: 575bhp
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Price: Dh554,000
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COMPANY PROFILE
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Started: 2021
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Donating your hair
• Your hair should be least 30 cms long, as some of the hair is lost during manufacturing of the wigs.
• Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour, is required.
• Straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened is permitted.
• Dyed hair must be of a natural colour
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