BOLLYWOOD stars are renowned for splashing out on lavish, over-indulgent weddings, with many of the cere- monies putting their colourful, choreographed films in the shade.

So yesterday it came as a surprise to the millions of Indians who avidly follow the gossip columns to read that one of their best-loved stars had decided to go against tradition and get married in what was probably the lowest-key showbiz wedding Bombay has seen.

Aamir Khan, the groom, has almost demi-god status in India. In towns and cities across the sub-continent his face dominates advertising billboards, securing him contracts worth millions of pounds.

Yesterday, to the astonishment of fans expecting a huge, star-studded ceremony at a luxurious Himalayan retreat, Khan’s lawyer issued a statement confirming that he had decided to get married to his long-term fiancée Kiran Rao, a film director, at his home in an upmarket suburb of Bombay, exchanging vows and rings in a quiet ceremony in the garden.

According to his lawyer, the divorced 41-year-old actor, who has two children from his first marriage, barred the media from the event and decided to avoid all publicity. “The wedding was a very simple affair,” Jameela Dumani said last night. “The guests were mainly family and friends. It was exactly the way they wanted it.”

According to a family friend, the simplicity of the event took everyone aback. “There was a simple 20-minute register ceremony,” he said. “Then everyone had a biryani dinner. It was unlike anything we had ever seen in Bollywood circles. Even their outfits were very low-key, no Bollywood diamonds or huge turbans. The groom was in a simple suit while Kiran wore a purple and red Sabyasachi lehnga-choli.”

The high-profile couple met on the set of the 2001 hit film Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, in which Khan, known for his brooding good looks, starred. Rao was an assistant director of the Oscar-nominated film, in which Khan played a villager who challenges India’s British colonial rulers to a cricket match and leads a rag-tag team to victory on the final ball.

It is understood that the newlyweds will now head for the hill resort of Panchgani, south of Bombay, where they plan on hosting several parties ushering in the new year, to which their lawyer claims that a number of Bollywood celebrities have been invited.

Khan, who is known for being picky about his roles, returned to the screen in 2005 after a four-year break with the film Mangal Pandey — The Rising, about the life of Mangal Pandey, whose rebellion led to the 1857 Indian Mutiny.

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