Timing is everything! B-towners are increasingly announcing their marriages or engagement dates around the time of their movie releases

Timing is everything!

B-towners are increasingly announcing their marriages or engagement dates around the time of their movie releases

While getting hitched to a co-star is not a new thing, actors now want to time the announcement correctly too. Not so long ago, when two actors wanted to get hitched, they would do so irrespective of their film status, but now they make sure that their audience gets a wholesome 'couple' package experience.
A couple of years back, when actors Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan decided to break the news of their marriage to the world, they did so while filming for Mani Ratnam's Guru together. Shortly after that, they got married with the whole industry in full attendance. The film also went on to become a huge hit, garnering positive reviews for both the stars.
Recently, actors Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza announced to the world that they would be tying the knot soon. After years of dodging the question, Riteish finally admitted to the world that they are getting married in February 2012. The news has come out at a time when they're both currently shooting for Tere Naal Love Hogaya. The duo apparently are also planning to get married around the film releases.
Though announcing the wedding while doing a film together has its advantages, trade analyst Taran Adrash rules out the possibility of it being a publicity stunt. "I don't think they do it for publicity. At the end of the day, content is what matters. Not many would know that when Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh got married, their film Dhan Daulat released around that time. The film flopped, but their marriage was the talk of the town." However, an actor on the condition of anonymity says, "I don't know how much good publicity they get, because should the marriage go kaput like the film, then they're in for a lot of flak too. Relationships are fickle in nature, and if a marriage doesn't work out, it just becomes a public spectacle."
A veteran producer agrees that there's been a trend to announce a marriage around the time a film is releasing. "Taking a cue from Abhi and Ash, Lara Dutta and (tennis player) Mahesh Bhupathi announced their marriage while both were working on their home production Challo Dilli. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor too announced that they'll get married after Agent Vinod releases in February 2012. It does make a difference when you announce a marriage while you are doing a film together. People start relating to you not only as a reel, but real life couple."