What Randeep Hooda's Manipuri Wedding To Lin Laishram Represents?

Celeb weddings have a unique way of capturing our attention, not just for the glitz and glamour but for the messages they convey. From Dia Mirza's redefined notion of priesthood to Alia Bhatt's showcasing the elegance of low-key weddings, each ceremony tells a unique story. Randeep Hooda's recent wedding to Lin Laishram is no exception. Hooda chose to embrace and celebrate his bride's Manipuri traditions, sparking a conversation about equality and the need to redefine marital customs.

Randeep Hooda, hailing from Haryana, opted for a traditional Manipuri wedding, honoring the cultural roots of his bride, Lin Laishram. This bold move challenges conventional norms, much like other celebrity weddings that have set trends in redefining marital rituals.

Setting a Trend: Marrying in the Bride's Tradition

A few days ago, actor Randeep Hooda tied the knot with his girlfriend, Lin Laishram. Although Hooda belongs to Haryana, his wedding was performed in the traditional Manipuri style, as Laishram is from that state. In an interview, Hooda rightly said, "It is only respectful to come and marry in the bride's tradition."

Earlier too, a Bollywood actor married in the bride's tradition. He was Shah Rukh Khan who married his Hindu wife according to Hindu customs and traditions. But why is this important? Why must grooms recognize the bride's traditions in inter-caste, inter-religion, and inter-regional marriages?

Breaking Gender Norms

In our society, men enjoy a privilege and power over women. In marriages, it is men who dominate in every aspect. Be it within the mandaps, homes, or beds. When a woman marries a man of another caste or religion, she is expected to change her name and identity to adapt to the new customs. While men on the other side are never expected to do the same. The bare minimum expected from them is to respect their wives' traditions if they do not follow them. 

We are all aware of the concept of love jihad  in which Muslim men marry Hindu girls to force conversion on them. Let us also remember that vice versa too happens. Amidst this cacophony, it is refreshing to see a man embrace the traditions of his female partner.

The Celebrity Influence

If it were not for a celebrity, it would not have been easy for a man to convince his family to marry into a different tradition. Families feel proud when they marry their sons and openly demand dowries and dominate the marriage customs. Everything during the marriage should be tailored as per the comfort of the ladkawalas. The ladkiwalas feel obliged to fulfil every demand of the groom's family, no matter how senseless it is. 

Challenging Unreasonable Demands

I personally witnessed this at one of my family's weddings. The baraatis were supposed to arrive around 7 or 8 PM. But being notorious for being late, they arrived at 12 AM and caused a ruckus because all the food had turned cold. The ladkiwalas had to rearrange everything, from reheating the food to redecorating the mandap. 

But is this even fair? Is it right to give all the power and right to dominate to the groom's family in a custom that ties two equal people in a bond of equality? If we continue with such customs, will a marriage ever be equal? 

Marriages are meant to be a space in which both partners enjoy equal rights and freedom. So let us not destroy its meaning by putting a dent in its foundation. 

Views expressed are the author's own.