Ankit Tiwari’s Bride Chosen by Grandmother on a Train, Engagement Scheduled for Feb 20

The tradition of arranged marriage is receiving flak these days as it is straying farther from the foundation of love and affection. Yet, Bollywood stars are making headlines for tying the knot in an arranged marriage. The latest eligible bachelor to join the roster is Singer Ankit Tiwari. Surprisingly, the story of how he came to meet his soon-to-be significant other is quite filmy.

Ankit Tiwari’s grandmother happened to be on a train from Kanpur to Delhi last year in October. It’s there, in the compartment that she met Pallavi Shukla, a mechanical engineer based out of Bengaluru. Pallavi’s personality wooed Ankit Tiwari’s grandmother, prompting her to decide that Pallavi Shukla is the perfect match for her grandson.

Both Ankit Tiwari and his family found his grandmother’s discovery to be charming and beautiful. “Once dadi announced that Pallavi would be the family’s daughter-in-law, everyone agreed. I’m happy that the family is happy and a little nervous too. She is a very sweet and simple girl. During our first meeting, there were 10 others seated between us.” The couple-to-be later met several times before saying ‘yes’.

Pallavi and Ankit will get engaged on February 20, followed by the wedding in three days.  Ankit’s brother, Ankur Tiwari is really happy that his younger brother is finally getting married. Yet, their professionalism is something many singers can take cues from.

“Usually weddings in our family last 10-12 days, but Ankit doesn’t have the time. His shows are booked months in advance and we worked on his dates,” explained Ankur Tiwari. While a lot of performers would scrap their shows in such a situation, Ankit Tiwari will complete his tour and be available for the reception in Mumbai, scheduled on February 26.

Ankit Tiwari’s wedding proves that arranged marriages can be a happy affair if love and affection are put above the financial status of the groom and bride. Marriage is a life-long commitment where like-minds meet. Both in the Western and eastern cultures, marriages are considered to be made in heaven. Reducing it to a few materialistic points can be really harmful to both the bride and groom.