Viraf Patell donates wedding fund to Covid patients; ties knot in court

The actor feels the wedding doesn’t really matter, the marriage does. He was happy that their wedding was “simple, pure and special”.

Actor Viraf Patell and his fiancé Saloni Khanna had planned an elaborate wedding but due to the pandemic they changed their plans. So, the couple tied the knot in a simple ceremony at the Bandra court on May 6.

Viraf Patell and Saloni Khanna had a court marriage on May 6

The Naamkarann actor reveals that they were planning their wedding since before the lockdown last year and kept waiting for things to ease out. “We were looking at May for the wedding but then the second wave took us by surprise. As it kicked in stronger, we decided to go ahead with the deed and eliminated all that we had planned. Eventually, it was stripped down to a point where we had to ask even our respective parents and families to not turn up and stay safe as they had not had their second jab.” Three of their close friends, Aarti and Nitin Mirani, who had recently recovered from Covid and Saket Sethi, who had been vaccinated, were witness to the ceremony.

He admits that both their families were disappointed and “initially heartbroken but they gracefully hid it with a smile”. “They eventually agreed that it was wiser to stay at home and blessed us to go ahead. Perhaps, they realised that life must go on and we have our lives in front of us to celebrate. They pointed that the wedding doesn’t really matter, the marriage does. With that spirit they let us go forth,” he shares with a grin.

Patell was glad that the court proceedings were smooth and thanks the authorities and his friends. He was also grateful to his neighbour Rasna, who filled in for his mother’s absence and helped with the ushering in the newly-wed couple with the traditional ritual of Aachoo Michoo as per Parsi customs. “I was asked to lift Saloni and enter the house and then we took our vows in a peaceful manner. Saloni managed not to cry. We shared a meal with our witnesses and were on video calls with friends and family. The phone has gone a bit crazy to be honest but then again, you don’t get married often. It was simple, pure and special,” he says.

The couple plans to donate the wedding fund to help and support people who are battling Covid. “I’ve gotten married in Rs150 flat! We paid 100 bucks as fee to the marriage registrar, and 50 for the photocopies. Saloni and I weren’t really looking at a big fat Indian wedding, anyway but with whatever we’ve saved, we will use to support as many Covid battles and causes we can, within our circles and beyond. This will hopefully give our wedding and togetherness more meaning,” he concludes.