Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli’s ‘covert’ wedding redefined destination marriages, says Karan Johar

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli tied the knot in 2017

Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma and cricket player Virat Kohli tied the knot in a dreamy ceremony in December 2017 in Italy. The couple’s destination wedding broke the internet and created a new trend.

Celebrity wedding planner Devika Narain discussed the careful preparation that went into carrying out the event while reflecting on the exceptional secrecy of the ceremony.

In an interview for a wedding wear brand, filmmaker Karan Johar compared the wedding to a "secret mission,” noting how everyone in the country woke up to pictures without any prior indication that a wedding was even taking place.

Karan Johar said, “The texture and DNA of weddings, especially destination weddings, have changed. I would give absolute credit to the Anushka-Virat wedding. The whole country woke up to this wedding; no one knew it was happening. It was a covert operation. From her wedding walk to the location, everybody fell in love.”

Devika Narain emphasised that the practicalities of the wedding were more important than its grandeur. She said that by demonstrating to couples that they were no longer constrained by conventional formats, it changed people's perceptions.

She said, “Why that wedding changed the gambit was because people realised they could do whatever they wanted at weddings.”

Anushka and Virat’s decisions caused a generational change in wedding preparation. In the past, a lot of couples felt pressured to follow existing traditions and family expectations.

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Anushka and Virat tied the knot on December 11, 2017, after dating each other for four years. The couple share two kids, a son named Akaay, who was born in 2024, and a daughter named Vamika, who was born in 2021.

In order to give their kids a well-rounded childhood, the family has subsequently moved to London and embraced a more sedate lifestyle away from continual public attention.