Back in June 2022, during the Zee Zest digital cover shoot, we asked our cover star Ali Fazal to describe his partner actor Richa Chadha (our March 2022 digital cover star), who he has been with for almost a decade now, in three words. It was lovely to watch his eyes light up at the mention of Richa, and it was followed by a shy giggle. At first, he said, “I am trying to spend my lifetime with her, and not do that." Apparently, he does not quite have enough words to describe Richa. But later, he described her as his ‘closest friend’.

Cut to September 2022, the internet is brimming with headlines about their wedding details – from the ceremony date to the venue, bride and bridegroom attires, jewellery, and much more. Here, we relive their love trajectory that began in 2012 and follows it up with all the information we have about this much-anticipated star wedding.

Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha’s love story

Richa Chadha as the epitome of grace - Meena Kumari - for Zee Zest's March 2022 cover

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Their love story started to brew on the sets of the 2012 crime-comedy Fukrey, which also starred Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, and Manjot Singh in pivotal roles. While Ali and Richa have never shied away from expressing their thoughts or making bold statements, and sharing their life details on social media, the two managed to keep their love story under wraps for almost five years. Official confirmation came with a gesture – Ali and Richa walking hand-in-hand at the 74th Venice Film Festival in September 2017. They were at the event to attend the world premiere of his film Victoria and Abdul, starring Judi Dench.

Ali posing for Zee Zest's June 2022 digital cover shoot

It was only in the recent years that they started revealing details about their relationship, and that too once in a while. For instance, in an interview with a leading publication, Richa revealed that it was she who said ‘I love you’ to Ali first and that he took three months to reciprocate. But once he did, they were inseparable. Currently, they are not just partners in life, but also in business. They have a production house named Pushing Buttons, under which they aim to produce some niche but impressive films.

The proposal

According to reports, Ali and Richa were to tie the knot in March 2022, but their plan had to be postponed due to the pandemic. The proposal, however, took place much earlier, in the Maldives. Richa revealed that Ali planned an intimate dinner on the island, and just as they finished dinner, he popped open a bottle of champagne and went down on his knees for the proposal.

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Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha's wedding details

The duo recently posed together for the cover of a leading magazine and had said that they don’t want a fairytale wedding but just a celebration of their togetherness. And based on the plans that are making rounds on the internet, it indeed is going to be a celebration of togetherness. They will reportedly tie the knot on October 4, 2022, in Mumbai and will be hosting a wedding reception a day later for their family, friends, and industry people. According to a source, it will be a three-day affair and the festivities may begin on September 30, 2022, in Delhi. While there are no details on the wedding venue, their pre-wedding bash is likely to be hosted at the 110-year-old Delhi Gymkhana Club, New Delhi. It is one of the most prestigious and oldest gymkhanas in Delhi.

Constantly lending their support to climate issues and conservation, the celebrity couple is trying to ensure that their wedding festivities reflect their ideology as much as possible. A source close to them has shared that the actor duo has roped in a wedding planning company that will ensure that the décor will include recycled or repurposed natural elements. As for food, they are aiming to reduce wastage during their functions by curating more sustainable food experiences.

Guestlist

In attendance at the wedding will be Ali and Richa’s friends and family. For the Mumbai reception, they’ve also invited their co-stars and friends from Bollywood and Hollywood. Ali has invited Gerard Butler (Ali’s co-star in the upcoming film Kandahar), Judi Dench (Ali’s co-star in the film Victoria and Abdul), and several other of his colleagues from Hollywood. One can even expect the cast of the upcoming spy thriller series Tehran.

During our cover interview in June 2022, Ali spoke about the legendary dame Judi and the rapport they share. Watch the interview here:

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Wedding invite

The best words to describe the couple that Ali and Richa are, are ‘fun’, ‘quirky’ and ‘artsy’, and that’s exactly what their wedding invitation reflects. They’ve got their friend to custom design a save-the-date card with their faces sketched into a kitschy pop art design. The overall vibe of the invite is retro 90s and it is made in the shape of a matchbox. The box reads: ‘Couple Matches’ with a quirky sketch of Richa and Ali dressed in traditional attire, riding a bicycle.

Privacy policy

Unlike their fellow Bollywood star couples Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif, and Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, Richa and Ali will let their guests post live updates from the wedding functions if they wish to. However, all the couple wants is for their guests to feel at ease and just enjoy themselves. The actors strongly feel that people can be at more ease when they don’t have restrictions on them. “Leave your phones and enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about capturing this moment on camera. Capture it in real-time,” – they’ve mentioned on the official invitation.

For more details on the wedding, stay tuned to this space.