RANTHAMBORE: Heavy security was in place on Saturday as British comic-turned-Hollywood actor Russell Brand and US pop star Katy Perry readied to tie the knot at a luxury resort in western India.
A shroud of secrecy surrounded the marriage preparations of the couple, who were expected to wed late Saturday in a Hindu ceremony on the fringes of the Ranthambore tiger reserve in Rajasthan state.
The luxury Aman-i-Khas resort, where the nuptials were reportedly set to take place, was shielded by bamboo and grass screens to stop onlookers from peering into what the media has dubbed the couple’s “jungle wedding.”
The British comedian was to ride a gaily bedecked horse escorted by a procession of elephants and dancers for the wedding, the Press Trust of India reported.
Organisers booked 21 camels and an assortment of elephants and horses for the marriage procession, the news agency said.
Brand, 35, and Perry, 25, arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday and flew to Rajasthan where they traveled to Ranthambore, one of the largest and most popular tiger reserves in India.
Perry's dress will have an Indian theme and she will have traditional Indian henna tattoos on her palms as part of the wedding preparations, media reports said. Brand is also sporting the tattoos on his palms.
Around 100 guests were expected at the celebrations, 80 miles (130 kilometres) from famed tourist city Jaipur.
They were said to include pop princess Rihanna and rap mogul P. Diddy, who was expected to perform for the happy couple.
Staff at three top-end venues booked for the couple and their guests – the Aman-i-Khas, Sher Bagh and and the Oberoi Vanyavilas – in the Ranthambore area enforced strict security to stop outsiders from entering.
On Friday, bodyguards clashed with photographers trailing Brand and guests in the wildlife park, punching two of the photographers and their driver, according to an AFP photographer.
The British star’s minders grabbed the car keys and left the photographers stranded in the park, the photographers said.
Brand’s spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
Brand, a recovering drug and alcohol addict with a reputation as a womaniser, was arrested last month for allegedly attacking a photographer at Los Angeles airport and was freed on 20,000 dollars bail.
The hirsute star, who found fame as a comedian and later as a TV and radio presenter, proposed to singer-songwriter Perry while on a New Year holiday in Rajasthan in a whirlwind romance, according to reports.
Perry is famous for her hit songs, “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot n Cold”.
Ranthambore authorities have told the pair to keep festivities quiet, set off no fireworks and play no music after 10:00 pm so animals in the reserve are not frightened by the noise.
“I have appointed a preventive committee to ensure no violation of norms takes place during the event which is near the forest area,” district collector Ravi Kumar told the Press Trust of India.
The couple were expected to host a reception on Sunday at the luxury Taj Rambagh Palace hotel in Jaipur.— AFP
