MUMBAI — The mehendi ceremony of Karan Deol, son of Bollywood superstar Sunny Deol, has captured national attention, not only for its star-studded glamour but also for its celebration of unity across all religions. Karan Deol married his longtime girlfriend Drisha on June 18, with the mehendi ceremony taking place three days prior on June 15.
Sunny Deol, who is usually reticent about mehendi, donned an extraordinary design crafted by Nimisha Parekh, the internationally acclaimed mehendi artist hailing from Surat. The design's standout feature was the incorporation of symbols representing four major religions — Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and Christianity — a gesture that has since stirred a positive conversation on social media about unity and tolerance.
Parekh, the co-founder of Mehndi Culture and an instructor who has trained over 350 mehendi artists across America, was exclusively invited to Mumbai to lend her expertise to the Deol family's wedding celebrations. Sunny Deol's willingness to embrace mehendi, a tradition he has typically shied away from, was motivated by the joyous occasion of his son's wedding.
"Sunny Deol's initial thought was to have the Om symbol as his mehendi design. However, during our discussion, he pondered upon the idea of incorporating symbols from all religions, an idea he pursued to the end," Parekh shared. The final design boasted the Om of Hinduism, the crescent of Islam, the Khanda of Sikhism, and the Holy Cross of Christianity.
As part of the ceremony, Karan Deol also sported a mehendi design bearing the name of his bride-to-be, Drisha. Other family members, including Karan's uncle Bobby Deol and relative Deepti Bhatnagar, also participated, celebrating the occasion with their respective mehendi designs.
Parekh, humbled by the opportunity to partake in the grand event, said, "It was an unforgettable experience. For me, mehendi is more than just a design — it represents sentiments, creates lifelong memories, and communicates the excitement and fragrance of life."
The Deol family's move to promote a message of unity has garnered extensive praise across social media, reinforcing the ethos of brotherhood and harmony in the midst of their personal celebration.
