Sonakshi Sinha marries Zaheer Iqbal at private ceremony

"We are now man and wife," longtime actor couple Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal said on Sunday after their low-key ceremony in the presence of family and close friends.

Sonakshi, 37, and Zaheer, 35, wed in a civil marriage at the Heeramandi star's sea-facing Bandra West apartment with the blessings of their families and "both of our gods".

The newlyweds shared the news of their wedding in a joint Instagram post.

"On this very day, seven years back (23.06.2017) in each other's eyes, we saw love in its purest form and dedicated to hold on to it.

"Today that love has guided us through all the challenges and triumphs... leading up to this moment... where with the blessings of both of our families and both of our gods... we are now man and wife. Here's to love, hope, and all things beautiful with each other, from now until forever," the couple captioned their wedding pictures.

The bride and groom twinned in ivory: Sonakshi wore her mother Poonam Sinha's wedding saree and completed her look with a sleek bun and gajra, whereas Zaheer was dressed in an embroidered kurta-pajama.

Sonakshi and Zaheer first collaborated on the music video for the song Blockbuster, which was released in September 2022. Months later, they co-starred in the comedy drama Double XL.

The duo didn't publicly confirm their relationship, but were often spotted attending events and social gatherings together. From attending each other's birthday parties, award wins to going scuba diving on holiday, Sonakshi and Zaheer often gave a glimpse into their lives to fans and followers on social media.

Sonakshi's Heeramandi co-star Aditi Rao Hydari attended the wedding along with her fiance, actor Siddharth as well as Double XL co-star-friend Huma Qureshi.

The newlyweds later hosted a reception for friends and industry colleagues at a fine-dining restaurant in Dadar.

For the post-wedding festivities, Sonakshi opted for a red Banarasi saree and Zaheer donned a white open jacket with a shirt and paired it with matching pants.

The reception was attended by film personalities including Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bela Segal, Gulshan Devaiah, Reema Kagti, Padmini Kolhapure, Qureshi, Saqib Saleem, Siddharth Kak, Mudassar Aziz, Anil Kapoor, Chunky Pandey, Aanand L Rai, Kajol, Saira Banu, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Ali Abbas Zafar, Raveena Tandon, Anees Bazmee, Vidya Balan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, and Tabu.

Sweet boxes with a gratitude note from the couple were distributed to the media stationed outside the reception venue.

"Thank you for showering us with so much love, happiness, and kindness on the most important day of our lives! Your support and wishes mean the world to us," read a message from Sonakshi and Zaheer.

Though there was no official confirmation from the couple, the rumours of their wedding started doing social media rounds earlier this month.

While Sonakshi was last seen in the Netflix series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, in which she played the dual role of Rehaana and Fareedan, Zaheer had a special appearance in the action film Ruslaan.

The wedding celebrations kicked off on Thursday with a family get-together of the bride and groom, which was followed by a mehendi ceremony the next day.

The Sinha family hosted a pooja ceremony on Saturday evening at their Juhu residence Ramayana, which was decked up with lights.

There were reports that Sonakshi's father, veteran star and TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha was unhappy about his daughter not informing the family about the wedding. The rumours were put to rest as Shatrughan Sinha was all smiles while posing with the groom and his family earlier this week.

Zaheer is the son of city's renowned jeweller Iqbal Ratansi. His sister Sanam Ratansi is a celebrity stylist and costume designer.