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ShareCome February and Delhi is going to play host to one of the season's hottest weddings, which is going to draw the likes of former US President Bill Clinton, his wife Hillary, daughter Chelsea, supermodel Naomi Campbell and a whole galaxy of Hollywood stars.
But the hype surrounding his wedding aside, New York-based socialite and hotelier Vikram Chatwal, who ties the knot with Delhi model Priya Sachdev on February 19, declares that his wedding will not be such an extravagant affair after all.
"I was in Thailand for New Year and decided to come down to Delhi and finish off some wedding related work. We are at the final stages of the preparations now. And no, we are not going to have a Kylie Minogue-scale performance like the Mittals. I think it will be interesting to have a fusion band performing at the wedding -- something I am still finalising," says Vikram Chatwal who took time off for this interview in the middle of his hectic pre-wedding planning.
As part of expanding his Dream Hotel chain, Vikram is currently looking to set-up a new establishment called Night in New York, developing a hotel in London and opening another one in Bangkok. In between, Vikram has also managed to pursue a parallel career in acting.
For the moment, it's a lot of hard work before he takes off on a long honeymoon. "Priya and I are going to just relax. But the honeymoon is a big surprise for her, so I am not letting out anything right now," he signs off.
What the Chatwal wedding is all about
Despite the Chatwals maintaining the wedding will not be over the top, the celebrations will span from Mumbai to Delhi and Udaipur.
Ironically, Sant Chatwal had earlier filed for personal bankruptcy in New York to discharge millions in debt owed to various people and entities including the US government. In court filings in the late 1990s he stated he had just '$100' while living in a penthouse in New York's expensive upper-Eastside. Among the many banks that saw their loans turn bad were Lincoln Savings Bank, First New York Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India and State Bank of India.
The wedding celebrations begin on February 12 and finish on February 19 with the marriage at a private Anand Karaj ceremony in Delhi. The venue is a secret, but it will not be at a five star.
All other days are meant to be days of celebration, spirits will flow and there will be a lavish spread of gourmet cuisine. A group of about 100 close friends of both the Sachdevs and Chatwals is traveling down to Udaipur for a two day pre-wedding bash which will include celebrations at the Lake Palace and Udaivilas. Other pre-wedding celebrations in the Capital will be held at the Taj Palace and Maurya Sheraton.
