Covid no bar: Weddings become big, fat again?

To keep up with the city’s ‘showshaa’ culture, couples-to-be are again hiring celebs such as popular TV actors and singers to perform at wedding festivities

The pandemic may have shrunk the grandeur of a big fat Indian wedding but tying the knot still doesn’t mean dull celebrations. To keep up with the city’s ‘showshaa’ culture, couples-to-be are again hiring celebs such as popular TV actors and singers to perform at wedding festivities.

Singers are more in demand for wedding performances, say event managers (Picture for representational purposes only) (Photo: Instagram)

Entertainment specialists say there was a sharp decline at the beginning of the pandemic but the demand has again gone up, especially at destination weddings, as restrictions eased.

Pawan Chawla, celebrity manager says, “Pehle bilkul dead ho chuka tha. Now it’s coming back to normal. Moreover, ours is celebrity-obsessed nation so couples are now keen to hire artists. The demand is up for destination weddings in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan due to relaxed restrictions as compared to Delhi.”

Gaurav Sharma, AGM operations, Rashi Entertainment, says, “Chote scale ki wedding hai toh we get chote artistes – it all depends on the budget.”

Hosts are ready to spend between ₹5-50 lakh for a 60-90 minute performance, vendors say. The purpose to get artists perform at an intimate wedding is for an added entertainment factor. Couples believe that a singer or a well-known DJ can deliver more than an actor and keep the crowd grooving. Chawla adds, “Actor ko bulane wale kam hote hai. Logo ki demand singers ke prati jyada hai, kyunki choti wedding mein bhi thoda entertainment chaiye.”

However, Sharma opines that even with the reduced guest list, adhering to the restricted numbers and following all Covid protocols is the top priority. Similarly, to continue to take all precautions measures in the current times, wedding vendors are given a lowdown before hand.

A photographer who was at a destination wedding in Kolkata where a renowned rapper and singer performed last week says, “We were given clear instructions about social distancing. Non-vaccinated staff of our group or even family members weren’t allowed to be near the performer. Moreover, to avoid coming under scrutiny, guests were also clearly instructed to not post about the performances on social media or ‘tag’ the artists.”