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Priyanka, Nick ‘seal relationship’ with ‘roka’ ceremony (Second Lead)
Mumbai, Aug 18 (IANS) Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, following months of speculation, on Saturday solemnised their relationship with a traditional Indian ‘roka’ ceremony. The actress says she is “taken” with her “heart and soul” by the American singer, who has introduced her to the world as the “future Mrs Jonas”.
“Taken… With all my heart and soul,” Priyanka posted on Instagram with an intimate photograph following their pre wedding Punjabi ritual at her residence here.
Nick posted the same photograph in which the couple looks much in love, and wrote: “Future Mrs Jonas. My heart. My love.”
Priyanka, 36, and Nick, 25, looked every bit ‘desi’ in traditional Indian wear for the ceremony, which was attended by their close family members and friends. Nick’s parents — mother Denise and father Kevin Jonas Sr — who flew down from the US with their son for the occasion on Thursday — also dressed in Indian wear for the celebrations.
Designer duo Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, whose sunshine yellow creation made Priyanka glow with joy, posted on Instagram: “Priyanka Chopra is heavenly in Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla Couture at her roka ceremony. Here’s wishing the beautiful couple every joy.”
She wore a chikankari sherwani. “The colour is as auspicious as the embroidery is intricate to celebrate this sacred and romantic occasion,” the designers said in a statement.
Nick wore a pristine white kurta churidar as he performed the ‘puja’.
It was a Ganpati Puja, said Kamal Kumar Mishra and Pradip Kumar Trivedi, the two priests who took care of the ‘roka’ proceedings.
Nick performed all the rituals here as per ‘Sanatam Dharam’, the priests added.
Photographs from the occasion made a splash on social media.
In one of the first image that did the rounds, Nick was seen cosying up to Priyanka, who is seen holding on to him, as they stand against a green background with a logo that read ‘NP’ — merged together to denote the amalgamation of the first letter of both their names.
While there was a buzz that Nick proposed to Priyanka on her 36th birthday on July 18, news had followed that he got a Tiffany & Co. store in London shut down to purchase an engagement ring for his lady love.
Priyanka had been making efforts to hide the sparkler, but in the photograph that she has shared from the ‘roka’, the rock takes the limelight.
The ceremony was attended by Priyanka’s cousin Parineeti Chopra, as well as celebrities like Arpita Khan Sharma, Mushtaq Sheikh and Srishti Behl Arya.
Well-known names from Bollywood and Hollywood also sent in good wishes in abundance for the couple. Gigi Hadid, Ranveer Singh, Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Ileana D’Cruz, Preity Zinta and Laura Brown are some of those who wished them a happily ever after.
Priyanka is a former Miss World, who established her space in the Hindi film industry with a slew of impressive projects like “Fashion”, “Mary Kom”, “Barfi!”, “Bajirao Mastani” and “7 Khoon Maaf”. She forayed into the international showbiz world with a singing career, and eventually landed the lead role in American TV show “Quantico”.
It gave her a launchpad that pushed her presence in the global entertainment universe. She made her Hollywood debut with “Baywatch”, followed by “A Kid Like Jake”. She will also be seen in “Isn’t It Romantic?”
She is also an active philanthropist.
Nick is a popular singer and has also acted in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”, as well as done TV shows like “Hannah Montana”, “Camp Rock” and “Scream Queens”.
The two have been creating a buzz since a joint appearance at the Met Gala red carpet in 2017, leaving everyone wondering whether they were dating.
At the Met Gala, Priyanka had just laughed off a romance with Jonas, insisting they simply shared an agent and were friends. She had also said they went to the Met Gala together as they were both wearing ensembles by Ralph Lauren.
In December last year, Jonas, while promoting “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”, had expressed a desire to visit India.
“I’ve never been (to India), but I’m dying to go and I have now heard from Priyanka, my new friend, a lot about it,” Jonas had told IANS in a statement.
And who knew, when the friendship turned into love for the couple.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.