All the Times Bollywood Changed the Wedding Playbook

Indian weddings have always been known for their rich traditions and rituals, as they draw from a highly nuanced and rich Indian culture. Its rituals are all symbolic of its country’s heritage. However, in recent years, Bollywood has become an increasingly significant part of people's lives, significantly influencing how they perceive weddings.

It has played a pivotal role in shaping not just what weddings look like but how they're experienced by people, irrespective of what their background is. Whether it is reinventing rituals like Kanyadaan to accommodate gender equality in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani or inspiring emotional authenticity like in the films 2 States and Satyaprem Ki Katha, Bollywood has influenced and, in some cases, even transformed modern Indian weddings.

Here are a few times Bollywood noticeably reinvented wedding rituals, and it only made it better!

Bollywood’s Moments That Redefined Indian Wedding

Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani 

Redefining rituals through reversal

Karan Johar’s 2023 film took a progressive stance when it challenged a few of the long-held patriarchal norms that are followed in Indian weddings. While the entire film did take a significant stand for equality among the genders throughout, in a standout moment, the groom’s father, in the last climax wedding scene of the movie, performs putradaan (the giving away of the son), a reversal of the traditional kanya Daan. The moment gained widespread acknowledgement and appreciation from several users over the internet.

Additionally, this symbolic gesture that was deeply rooted in cultural subversion, resonated with many modern couples seeking equality within ceremonial traditions as well. Another instance, when the groom’s father puts a turban, meant to be worn by the men in the family, on his daughter's head, displays a sense of equality between both his children.

Another very powerful moment that wouldn't usually be noticed at the very first watch of the film, was a shot of Ranveer Singh’s character bowing down in front of Alia Bhatt during the Varmala ceremony, allowing Alia Bhatt to put the garland around his neck. This was an intentional blend of personal truth and cinematic storytelling, mirroring Alia Bhatt's real-life wedding with Ranbir Kapoor, where the latter went down on his knees during the Varmala ceremony in a sweet gesture of surrender. These reinterpretations of the Indian wedding rituals throughout the film sparked discussions surrounding gender roles in marriage rituals.

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! 

The genesis of the big-fat-Indian wedding

This 1994 classic that became a household film has been widely credited with revolutionising the Indian wedding as a grand family affair. More than just a film, it became a cultural validation. The elaborate pre-wedding functions, choreographed family dances, and emphasis on familial bonding set the tone for what we now recognise as the “big fat Indian wedding.”

Immediately after the film was launched, the elements of Bollywood performances, colour-coded clothing, and carefully staged rituals began filtering into real weddings in every part of the country.  What was once reserved for cinema became the new standard for upper-crust weddings.

2 States (2014)

A shift toward inclusivity and modern values

Based on Chetan Bhagat’s Bestseller, 2 States while a rom com for the Bollywood fanatics, it offers a masterclass in navigating the nuances of intercultural weddings. The marriage between a Tamil Brahmin bride and Punjabi groom creates a compelling narrative about the cultural differences that often create a social barrier in relationships.

What makes the film notable is how it portrays the careful blending of the two regional traditions. From the Formal South Indian wedding rituals to the flamboyant North Indian baraat, the film allows both traditions to stand side by side instead of merging them together into a generic mix. This portrayal has inspired several couples from different backgrounds to celebrate their individual customs during their wedding's ceremonies. 

Another instance where the film redefines the traditional Indian wedding is when both Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor Stay with each other’s families in their respective homes to get to know each other’s families better, it offered the new age couples with an idea to help understand their relationships and each other’s families better to avoid problems later in the marriage.

Thereby, the idea that a wedding can be a collaboration between two cultures instead of a compromise, which either the bride or the groom has to make, has become more embraced in elite wedding circles.

Jawan  (2023)

Rituals as Reclamation

Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, released in 2023, while perceived as a high-octane action film on the surface, but it holds beneath a narrative that speaks of female empowerment, inclusion and rewriting gendered wedding rituals and traditions. 

A pivotal moment in the film features a wedding sequence where a single mother is seen walking her daughter down the aisle- daughters are traditionally walked down the aisle by their fathers or male guardians.

This seemingly small gesture is actually a powerful element that challenges long-standing patriarchal norms in the wedding rituals that often render women as passive participants in a social setting-especially weddings. When the movie placed the mother in a position of ceremonial authority, it acknowledged the evolving dynamics of Indian families.

Satyaprem Ki Katha 

Respecting Agency 

In Satyaprem Ki Katha, released in 2023, the film presents the wedding rituals as a framework for healing and dignity of the protagonist instead of portraying it merely as a celebration of two people’s togetherness. The film, through a strong narrative, advocates for the rights of a survivor of sexual assault to live a fulfilled life without the lingering shame of something that was not their fault.

The movie follows Kiara Advani’s character, who is a sexual assault survivor, and her relationship with her partner, played by Kartik Aaryan, as it unfolds the sensitivity attached to the story of a survivor along with emotional awareness.

The wedding sequence in the film is not about spectacle—it’s about consent, care, and the idea that marriage isn’t a reward, but a shared commitment built on trust. Rituals in the film are portrayed not as obligations, but as choices made consciously by both individuals.

This has struck a chord with a growing number of couples who seek to infuse their weddings with emotional honesty rather than performative grandeur. The film highlights the shift from following rituals blindly to embracing only those that align with the couple’s truth.

In another instance mirroring what feels like a movie scene, actor Rajkummar Rao had his bride put a sindoor on his forehead, converting the traditionally symbolic ritual of a woman marking her husband as her own into an equally symbolic act of partnership.

These tiny moments redefine the way Indian weddings are perceived as marking the beginning of a shift from performing rituals just for the sake of traditions to solidifying them into purposeful acts.

What this means for modern weddings

Bollywood’s influence is not just limited to the visuals one sees on the big screen—it’s now ideological. Over the period of time, it has encouraged couples to reinterpret rituals, reimagine aesthetics, and rethink tradition itself.

Today’s luxury weddings are as much about personal storytelling as they are about grandeur. And many of these stories are taking cues from the silver screen. 

Bollywood is now reshaping not just who we marry but also how we marry, whether it is a wedding ceremony stripped to its emotional core or rituals consciously restructured to reflect equality and inclusivity.