The board outside the venue said ‘Cinema Pooja’ but that was not fooling anybody. Hotel PGS Vedanta on Friday was the place where the rumour mill’s ceaseless grinding had finally come to a halt.
Malayalam stars Dileep and Kavya Madhavan got married on Friday in a small ceremony at the hotel, putting an end to the long-standing rumours about their romance. Many of the guests who attended the wedding said that they had been informed on Thursday and some on Friday morning.
The video of Dileep and Kavya’s wedding:
Kavya Madhavan looked elegant and lit up the simple ceremony, which was conducted without any fanfare.
Kavya Madhavan (32) and Dileep (48) were a beloved on-screen couple, like Sheela and Prem Nazir. Their crackling chemistry in the 21 films, where they were paired together, was much sought after by the industry and audiences.
A Private Affair
Producers Ranjith, Mammootty, Jayaram, Narain; director Siddique; actors Jo Mol, Meera Jasmine, Janardhanan, Kukku Parameshwaran, yesteryear actor Menaka and her family were among those who attended the wedding, which was limited to about 250 guests.
Dileep said that he had his daughter’s “blessings” for the wedding. “We're marrying with the blessings of both the families,” Dileep told the media. The actor had made it clear earlier before that he would not marry again without his daughter’s consent. Meenakshi, Dileep’s daughter with his first wife Manju Warrier, told the media that she was happy with the marriage.
Sources say that his daughter had been against his marriage to Kavya and that she'd relented recently.
I am getting married today. When I felt that I wanted to tie the knot, my family, including my daughter, came to this decision. Kavya, my friend, is someone whose name has been linked with mine and I felt it was not appropriate for me to marry anybody elseDileep
He also appealed to the media that there should be no controversies over his wedding.
‘Gossip Had Taken Over Their Lives’
“I am very happy for them. Dileep and Kavya are like my family. I don’t want to speak about when this was decided,” said actor Meera Jasmine.
Actor Chippy said, “They are happy. And what is happening is good. I was told about the wedding just a day before. I'm happy for them.”
Actor Menaka said, “I did not know that it was Dileep’s wedding until I reached here. My husband told me to come to Kochi for a temple visit. I'm happy for it. Let them live happily.”
Many guests who attended the wedding said that the marriage was inevitable for the two to get on with their lives. “Gossip had taken over their lives. It was affecting Kavya more than Dileep,” said producer Ranjith.
Dileep was previously married to Manju Warrier, a leading actress in her time who recently made a comeback to films after their divorce in January 2015. The two of them got married after a whirlwind romance in 1998. Kavya was briefly married to Nishal Chandra, a businessman from Gulf in 2009.
Both couples eventually got divorced, amidst rumours of Dileep and Kavya's relationship.
The ‘Inevitable’ Wedding
Though their ‘wedding’ was always part of the rumour mills, both actors had consistently denied that there was anything going on between them. Kavya had said in an interview, “Dileep is not just a co-star but my close friend. Our chemistry works out well.” She denied being in a relationship though.
In August 2016, Dileep had told The Indian Express that “only time will tell” when the rumours were brought up. He had also posted on Facebook stating that he was aware that people were deliberately propagating negative news about him. The actor was especially outraged because certain sections of the media had dragged his daughter's name into the speculation. Dileep had said, “My life is an open book. In case I decide to marry anyone, that will be done only after informing the public about it. This is for all the people who are eager to get me married.”
After Dileep and Kavya’s interview with Vanitha magazine recently, the speculations about their relationship gained momentum once again.
Just before the wedding, Dileep did a Facebook live.
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