One of the most fantastic aspects of South Asian culture is the weddings, filled with vibrant lights, unique traditions and delicious food. Once every year, the Fordham University South-Asian Entity (FUSE) and the Bengali Students Association (BSA) collaborate to host a Mock Shaadi (Hindi for marriage), where two students are nominated and selected to be the bride and groom of a gorgeously grand function.
This year, Irtaza Khan, GSB ’28, stood as the groom and Ritisha Chintakunta, GSB ’28, the bride. Though not dating in real life, the two are friends, and this event arguably brought them even closer. When asked what their favorite part about their mock partner was, Chintakunta acknowledged her Pakistani background (she is South Indian), whereas Khan celebrated his love for biryani.
Despite its “mock” nature, this event took a lot of planning and was very difficult to organize.
“It was a good experience to be the groom, but also a lot of work,” said Khan. “There was a lot of tension in the air, given how many people attended and how important it was that everything went perfectly.”
That being said, the large audience in the McShane Great Hall was left nothing but impressed. As guests checked in, stalls for boba and dessert were set up as everyone began to sit.
The function began around 6:30 p.m., when the FUSE and BSA boards danced in with a grand entrance and introduced themselves, kicking off the event. It was then time for the groom and bride to make their entry alongside the groomsmen (including myself) and bridesmaids.
The bride and groom took a seat on the stage as the wedding party threw uncooked rice at them. This Hindu tradition, known as “akshita,” aims to bless the newlywed couple as they embark on their new life together. This was followed by another South Asian wedding tradition known as “Joota Chupai,” which roughly translates to “hidden shoe.” As the name somewhat implies, the bridesmaids steal the groom’s shoes, and the groomsmen must negotiate to get them back.
This was followed by dinner, which was truly exquisite and composed of many South Asian culinary dishes. As guests began to wrap up their dishes, the best man, Raamiz Rizvi, FCRH ’27, and the maid of honor, Anoushka Awasthi, GSB ’28, gave speeches commemorating the event. They were heartfelt and humorous as they celebrated their best friends and their stories together on the stage.
This was followed by a series of traditional Bollywood dance performances curated by the dance team Fordham Falak, the multicultural Lincoln Center based dance group, Fordham Empire and our very own bridesmaids and groomsmen, along with the FUSE and BSA executive boards. Falak, coming off a very successful showcase two days prior to the event, brought the same electrifying energy, performing medleys that fused with contemporary Western music. A highlight was Nelly Furtado’s bouncy “Promiscuous” combined with Shreya Ghoshal’s exotic vocals on “Barso Re” from the film “Guru.” The vibe was certainly matched by Fordham Empire, who never fails to impress a large crowd.
As the two stellar dance teams hyped the crowd up, it was then on the groomsmen and bridesmaids to keep the energy high. They may not have had Falak or Empire’s experience, but they made up that deficit through a very visible display of hard work in what ultimately was a series of very successful dance performances. There were some errors with the mix originally, but these seemed to be cleared up around the time the executive boards started dancing, which was to a sensational medley of “Maahi Ve” and “Mauja Hi Mauja.”
Finally, the groom and bride ended the night’s series of festivities with an intimate yet vibrant performance to the classic song “Ghagra” from the iconic movie “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.” This included numerous memorable moments, such as the groomsmen catching the groom as he fell towards the bride and the hook step pioneered by none other than the Kathak visionary Madhuri Dixit.
After this performance, the DJ opened up the dance floor to the public, and everyone piled on to celebrate the (fake) matrimony of a (fake) lovely couple. The DJ certainly played his part in the event’s success, mixing Punjabi, South and Bollywood songs altogether for an hour, before ending the function, in true FUSE style, with the Imran Khan classic “Bewafa.”
At the end of the day, the Mock Shaadi was a beautiful homage to South Asian culture and a wonderful night for everyone involved. FUSE, BSA and the wedding party worked incredibly hard to put together a timeless night celebrating what makes South Asian culture as unique and special as it is.
