Wedding Bells Ring for Sania and Shoaib
Associated Press
Sania Mirza, left, and Shoaib Malik talk to reporters in Hyderabad on April 5.
Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik, a South Asian celebrity couple whose every move has been watched in recent weeks, surprised star watchers by getting married today, ahead of the planned nuptials.
A spokeswoman for Ms. Mirza, an Indian tennis player, announced the earlier-than-expected wedding at a Hyderabad press conference Monday. She declined to say where or what time the event would be held, citing security concerns.
That didn’t stop the Times of India from posting a slideshow reportedly of the couple’s wedding invitation. “The beautiful card looks rich in presentation,” it says.
The timing of the Sania-Shoaib wedding has been a moving target in recent days amid the larger media circus of their relationship. Mr. Malik, a Pakistani cricketer, confirmed the marriage plans (via Twitter) two weeks ago. Gossip and media coverage started right away, with the Times Online calling it “Romeo and Juliet with a dash of Posh and Becks and a heavy dose of Bollywood melodrama.”
It is a controversial pairing. Not only do Ms. Mirza and Mr. Malik hail from rival nations, but both ended prior relationships, including a marriage for Mr. Malik. Critics have scrutinized everything from how his first marriage was agreed upon to whether it’s ending because of the first wife’s weight.
The Twitterverse showed signs of celebrity-gossip fatigue. “Sania has been marrying #shoaib everyday in the past week… STOP IT,” one user, smitzonian, wrote. “Not a word abt the Maoists but.. Sonia Gandhi sent congrats to Pak cricketer Shoaib Malik and tennis star Sania Mirza,” Nishka Krishna tweeted.
“Hope this will end the drama forever,” added SweeneyDey.
Source: WSJ.com: India Real Time
