Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan expecting child

ONE of the worst kept secrets in Bollywood came tumbling out when it was announced that Kareena Kapoor Khan and husband Saif Ali Khan were expecting their first child.

After weeks of ducking the rumours and questions from media, Saif finally made the big announcement when he said: “My wife and I would like to announce that we are expecting our first child in December. We would like to thank our well-wishers for their blessings and support and also the press for their discretion and patience.”

Not surprisingly, the couple received messages of congratulations from fans and the film fraternity alike. Two of the first big names to find out the news officially were the couple’s close pals Karan Johar and Manish Malhotra.

The baby news threw a major spanner into the works of recently announced film Veere Di Wedding, which sees Kareena starring alongside Sonam Kapoor for the first time. Instead of replacing Kareena, the producers are now in a rush to get the big budget film completed on schedule.

Rhea Kapoor, who is coproducing the film with Ekta Kapoor, said: “Ekta Kapoor and I, with our families and companies, are delighted and excited for Kareena and Saif! As producers of Veere Di Wedding, we are thrilled to be part of their special journey.

“Bebo is a thorough professional and will start the shoot of the film in August. Much like the spirit of our film, which celebrates the modern girl, Kareena is going on with her work and life as usual and we couldn’t be prouder to have her.”

Saif, who has two grown children already from his previous marriage to actress Amrita Singh, is also racing against time to complete his various film assignments so he can be there for his wife in the lead up to the delivery and afterwards.

“Saif isn’t daunted about becoming a dad again and is very much there for Kareena. He has been going to the hospital visits and plans to be a hands-on dad,” said a source.

Kareena has wanted to start a family and that is why she turned down big projects with prolonged shooting schedules. Recently when asked if she would like to follow Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra into Hollywood, Kareena said: “My priorities are very different.

I think it’s amazing what Priyanka has done. But I don’t think I could ever do something like that. I want to be a married working woman.

My responsibilities are a lot different. I have a husband, I would like to start a family.” The couple married in 2012 after a five-year courtship and are making preparations for the new arrival.