I’ll definitely marry on TV: Rahul Mahajan

Rahul Mahajan says he will definitely marry the woman he chooses through NDTV Imagine’s reality show “Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega” unlike Rakhi Sawant, whose televised ’swayamvar’ came to an end with a broken engagement.

“See the name of my show is ‘Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega’. The title itself says that I will take my bride home. I will definitely marry. In fact, the finale of the show will show my wedding only,” Rahul told IANS at Udaipur’s Fatehgarh Palace, where the show is being shot amid a lavish set.

Rahul, son of late Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan, will begin his quest for a bride on TV starting Monday. He will choose from a total of 15 women who were selected after much scrutiny from over 16,000 applicants from across the country.

Among these, around seven are associated with the glamour industry in one form or the other. There are also small-time news anchors, models, directors, a law student, a BJP activist and an undergraduate student.

Asked about his choice of women from the media sector, Rahul joked: “Maybe they have been watching me a lot.”

“Seriously, I think there are girls from all facets of life - whether from human resource management, fashion designing, media professionals or whatever. I think we have picked up different women from various fields and sections of society,” he added.

Rahul says he is looking for three qualities in a woman - “honesty, genuineness and a sense of humour”. And the biggest put-offs for him are dishonesty and melodrama.

“I think everyone should be happy all the time. I want my wife also to be happy all the time; what else does one want?” he said.

According to Rahul, who had a broken marriage with his childhood friend Shweta Singh, says if his father would have been alive, he would have been proud about Rahul’s decision of remarrying.

“My father had a wish that I should get married, go on a honeymoon, have kids. He wanted to have a grandchild - it would have made him happy; so in a way I am trying to fulfil his wish. He would have been proud,” he said.

But then why did he have to launch a national search for a bride on television?

“Did the media feel like leaving me alone when I got married first or at the time I was facing problems? Did the media ever leave my private life? In the past three years I have not got any privacy. Since 2006, the media has been covering every activity of mine. So whenever I marry next, it will go live - I know it.

“The only difference now with this show would be that it would be shown on a single channel, unlike before when all news channels would have got the footage,” he said.

“Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega” will air at 8 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jaayega from 1st feb

The wait is finally over as India’s most anticipated show Swayamvar Season 2– ‘Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jaayega’ is all set to capture the hearts of millions of viewers across the country. The show will start from Monday 1st February 2010 at 8 pm, viewers will witness India’s first Swayamvar of a groom-to-be, Rahul Mahajan.

The magnificent Fateh Garh Palace in Udaipur will mark the beginning of a new journey in Rahul’s life. Standing side-by-side with him as he makes one of the biggest decisions of his life, will be the none other than the affable host Ram Kapoor.

Watch out for the 15 gorgeous girls, as they are all set to woo the charismatic and charming Rahul Mahajan. At their very first rendezvous all the girls express their feelings towards Rahul in their own special way. Rahul in the meanwhile is looking forward to present this first ‘Pyaar Ka Nazrana’ to the girl who takes his breath away.

Now the only query that arises is who will impress Dulhe Raja? What is the ‘Pyaar Ka Nazrana’? Who gets Rahul’s first ‘Pyaar Ka Nazrana’?

To catch the entire thrill at Fateh Garh Palace on the day of curtain raiser to this splendid journey tune in to ‘Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jaayega’ from Monday to Friday at 8.00 pm only on NDTV Imagine.

Kya Rahul dulhania le jayenge ?

Rakhi Sawant, the self proclaimed media ki beti shot to fame with her drama-queen act in Bigg Boss season I. Rahul Mahajan repeated the same in season II. Then the controversy’s child went on a groom hunt on national television with Rakhi ka Swayamwar, Rahul follows in line with his version – Rahul Dhulaniyan le Jayenge.

But Rahul bahiya begs to differ and promptly says, “I am not following Rahki Sawant and why will I? I am following Sita maiyan. She also had a Swayamwar. The channel and the format may be similar but it’s not the same thing.”

Ask Rahul why Swayamwar and pat comes the reply, “Why not?” For dulhe miyan it is the best way to find his ideal life partner through this centuries-old tradition. Ahem! Is Rahul following all the century-old customs in the show? Only time will tell as we catch the episodes of Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jaayega.

The success rate of the relationships made on the show has not been remarkable. While everybody has their doubts thanks to Rakhi-Elesh split, Rahul is sure that he will find a “genuine, honest and mature girl with a good sense of humour” and also promises that he is on the show to “get married and stay married for life.” And all this will happen with the support of his mother and sister Poonam, who are right now, busy renovating the house to welcome Rahul’s bride.

Fifteen girls are all set to woo Mahajan Jr in every possible way. Perhaps, one of them will tie the knot by the end of the series and go with him. The girls have been selected after a gruelling process — audition and screening process by the channel and then the Mahajan family scannen the prospective brides.

So, what criteria was followed to line up the top 15 contenders? “We did not have any barriers about religion, caste or age. We were only looking for genuine prospects,” says Rahul. Well that explains why Rahul has 15 ladies, youngest amongst them is all of 19 and the eldest being 34. To this Rahul says, “When we are allowed to vote at 18, then we are mature enough to be married at 19.” One wonders why a man who is remarrying himself does not have a single divorcee or widow on his list of final prospects. “This was not intentional. It just happened that the girls short-listed does not have a divorcee or a widow, says Mahajan.

The countdown has begun and Rahul’s head is giddy with excitement and curiosity. The viewers too seem to share the same state of mind. Whatever the future may hold for Rahul and the show, we’d like to wish them luck. This time may he get married and stay married for life. Amen!

Three Bengali beauties will now get into a diplomatic war to become Rahul Mahajan’s wife

Three out of 15 prospective brides on Imagine’s ‘Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega’ have something in common besides their hometown… their wish to be Rahul’s chosen one!

Rajshree Mishra (26) from Kolkata admires Rahul for the fact that he is an honest and down to earth person despite his high profile family background. An avid reader Rajshree has read all the novels of Sidney Sheldon.

Dimpy Ganguly (21) from Kolkata finds Rahul to be a very nice, friendly and clean-hearted person; someone she can totally picture as her husband.

Coincidently, both Rajshree and Dimpy are models cum actors by profession.

Twinkle Mukherjee (22) from Sreerampur, a qualified engineer from West Bengal University of Technology is an avid biker and loves outdoor sports. ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ is her favorite film and she always wanted to marry a ‘Rahul’ and her sheer determination to do so got her to the show.

Asked if he is going to choose his bride from the trio, Rahul said: “Bengalis are sweet people and have a rich culture.”

Rahul Mahajan at receiving end

Rahul Mahajan has finally commenced his look for a soul mate in Udaipur. Fifteen beautiful young ladies have come from all over the country to impress the groom.

With this sole aim in mind all the potential brides are doing everything what it takes to woo a man. But before they could impress our Dulhe Raja, he himself swept them off their feet by greeting each one of them with a bouquet of flowers at their grand entry on the very first episode of Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayegaa.

At the beautiful Fatehgarh Palace where the air was filled with romance, the prospective brides presented Rahul their token of love which stood out in its own way. Rahul was overwhelmed by the gestures of all the girls and couldn’t stop wondering on the thought that went behind in choosing the unique gifts which he received from each one of them.

A true believer in her culture and rituals, Twinkle Mukherjee from Kolkata gifted Rahul an idol of Goddess Durga, jhor and cheli– that marks the ‘gathbandhan’ (wedding knot) between a bride and groom in Bengali weddings, while Charmy from Ahmedabad showered her affection and wished Rahul good luck by gifting him a showpiece of ‘Farishtey’(angel).

Nikunj Malik, an accessories designer from Faridabad made Rahul’s day remarkably memorable by gifting him a wallet especially designed by her with her picture in it while Lucknow girl Rashmi gifted him a set of a Lucknawi Kurta-Pajama.

The list does not end here, Tannu from Faridabad and Mrinal from Nagpur displayed their affection towards Rahul in a rather unique manner. Making sure of God’s presence in everything they do, the two ladies gifted the Dulhe Raja a statue of Radha Krishna and a Bhagwad Gita respectively.

Rahul Mahajan getting ready for marriage

Swayamvar season two is ready to surface on television sets soon. Looks like after the tremendous response for Rakhi Sawant’s groom-hunt; its now the turn of Rahul Mahajan to bask in the limelight and rake in some TRPs for NDTV Imagine. Joining hands with Rahul to find the perfect bride for him NDTV Imagine has already short listed the brides for the Swayamvar on the show Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jaayega.

But a little birdie tells us that among the fifteen pretty-young-things selected for the Swayamvar, one is more than eager to date Rahul Mahajan. “19 year old Sonia Kaur from Jammu who is also the youngest potential bride and is currently pursuing a B.A degree was a regular with season one. She is enamoured by the concept of dating of the bride and groom. And according to her she cannot wait for her first date with Rahul,” informs our source.

Apparently Rahul has takers more than one, “There are many such girls who are waiting to date Rahul and have already started day-dreaming about him. One of the brides- Twinkle Mukherjee is a big fan of the movie ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ and thus she always wanted to marry a guy named ‘Rahul’.” This piece of news would definitely be music to Rahul’s ears!

"I have to move on in life" Rahul Mahajan

Rahul Mahajan India's own reality star, is all set to find his life- partner through another reality TV show – NDTV Imagine's Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jaayega. He talks about it with Tellybuzz...

Did you watch Rakhi ka Swayamvar?
Well, I didn't follow it from the beginning. I started watching it from midway and my interest kept increasing as the episodes went by.

But Rakhi's show didn't end in marriage…
You see, the show's title Swayamvar means an occasion where a girl gets to choose her bride. But neither does my show's title go that way nor am I not going to get married by the end of it.

So you're saying you 'will' get married on television?
Yes, the day I choose my bride, on the same day I will get married.

Did you go for kundli matches?
No, I just listened to my inner voice.

Your first marriage wasn't easy, so didn't you get nervous taking a second shot at it, that too on such a public platform?
You see, since the day I got arrested, my whole life has been public. And just because my first marriage didn't work out I can't always be feeling bad about. I have to move on in life, don't I? No matter what I do, it's there in the channels and newspapers. So it doesn't matter whether I get married on TV or not. It is going to be a public affair. So I thought, I might as well use it for my benefit. Nowadays people are using papers, internet and even mobile phones for matrimonial ads. When I got the chance to use television which reaches so many people, as a help to find my life- partner, I thought it's only wise to go for it.

This was the first time you were involved in a song and dance sequence…
Sorry?

I meant your title track which is full of Bollywood style latkas and jhatkas…
(Laughs) Yes, I don't know a thing about dancing so I was like- What have I gotten myself into?! But I went for the rehearsal all three days and sincerely tried to do it. I think it's come okay…

Will the girls be required to perform tasks to impress you?
I would not like to discuss the contents of the show right now. You'll come to know when you watch Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jaayega on NDTV Imagine.

While choosing the girls did anyone else's opinion back yours?
Yes, I discussed all of the girls' backgrounds with my whole family, especially my mom. The fifteen girls who've been shortlisted now are all approved by my mother.

What happens when it comes to the final decision? Will your mother's opinion count too?
Like I said, all the fifteen girls are liked by my mom. So it really doesn't matter to her who I choose. But if at all need arises I will definitely consult my mom.

In Bigg Boss, it was given an impression that something was brewing between you and Monica Bedi. Didn't you worry this image might affect your prospective brides?
I don't have any reason to worry. If this image would've affected the girls then the thousands of entries would never have come!

The number is down to fifteen. Which qualities are you looking for in the girls to help you shortlist furthermore?
I'm looking for honesty, Sense of Humor, genuineness and intelligence.

What have you got to tell the people who say – shaadi ko ek mazzak bana diya hai in reality shows waalon ne (these reality show people have made marriage a joke)?
I just hope that after seeing my wedding and my honeymoon they will stop saying all such stuff.

Rahul Mahajan gears up for swayamvar

Why did you get involved in selecting the finalist probable brides?

I fortunately didn’t have to sit through the initial processes. I only sat through the auditions of the top 60 girls out of 16,500 girls. And then, I took the profiles of the top 15 girls to my mother. She approved of them. That’s how they made it to the final list. I sat through the process because this marriage is a life altering decision for me.



You seem to have a liking for Bengali women. Five of the 15 participants are Bengalis.

I love their language and culture. It’s so rich. Their language sounds extremely sweet. They are educated girls. They’re into one art form or the other. But let me be honest, I didn’t choose them just because they are Bengali. Their personalities are such that I couldn’t have ignored them.



You were anxious before the auditions began.

(Smiles) Not anymore. Now, I am looking forward to tie the knot by the end of the next two months. I’ve already planned my honeymoon. Now, I just need my honey to realise that dream.



What’s the plan?

We’ll set off to a tropical place, with beaches and breeze. I would ideally not want her or me to carry mobile phones with us. Even laptops are banned on our honeymoon. It has to be a beautiful process of getting to know my life partner, better.



Your earlier relationship with Shweta Singh went kaput. Any lessons learnt?

No one would ever want his or her marriage to end. Mine ended for various reasons. But I’ve learnt to move on because you don’t stop because you failed. I know a few things that may not work with a woman. This time, I’d want to spend ample time setting up my grihasti with my lady-love. Ensure that she is always happy and renew my marriage vows every year with a honeymoon.



You’ll choose one out of the 15 girls. What about the remaining 14?

I admire the guts these girls have. The world will always remember that they wanted to marry me. They will all have to marry someone in life. I just wish that after the show, I stay in touch with them and become their friend for life. I’d be more than willing to help them.



Wouldn’t your wife be jealous, given that she competed with them to marry you?

You know, jealousy is something that connects girls faster than any other emotion. Even if you had two girls competing, they would both be jealous of each other. Here, I am dealing with 15.



What is it that you are looking for in your ideal partner?

She should have a dynamic personality. She should be able to outdo me in almost every respect. Defeat me, win me. I’m looking for an equal.



The audience, after the last season, felt cheated because Rakhi Sawant didn’t marry Elesh Parujanwala. Her engagement didn’t last either.

Rakhi and I are not related. She never promised to marry. I am. The finale will be replete with a detailled marriage ceremony, mangalsutra, sindoor and the pheras. I am not going to leave the girl stranded.



What about your mum and sister Poonam?

They are busy doing up my house. They want to welcome the new bride of the family into a furnished new house.



Have you asked for dowry yet?

(Laughs) I will accept everything that the channel gives me because they are the girl’s side. But ideally, I would accept her in a single joda. Her husband will get her the rest of her wardrobe.



Weren’t you allured to the show because of the big bucks?

No way. I was getting a chance to start my life afresh. The channel is arranging for us to fall in love and marry. What more could I ask for?



Have the girls been talking to you about your backstories?

They all have come to the show, knowing everything about me from before. The media had exploited all the happenings in my life for news. So, they don’t have those things to ask me.



Before the show was launched, you said that you would be consulting a pandit for the kundlis of these girls. What if he disapproves of the girl you choose?

The pandit is purely for consultation. I would still marry the girl of my choice, even if he doesn’t approve. I would weigh my feelings over astrological predictions. They can always go wrong. Your feelings never mislead you.