LOKESH-BRAHMANI ENGAGEMENT IS OVER TODAY, NOW WAIT FOR THE MARRIAGE ON AUGUST 26

The most talked-about engagement in Andhra Pradesh uniting the two families -- the Nara family and the Nandamuri family -- got underway in the morning. , according to sources, it was a very simple and traditional affairs. It was Balakrishna who called the shots right from the word go. First, it was the filmi crowd that formed the invite list. And there were hardly any politicians.

Two, junior NTR came, saw, and left in a huff. It is rumoured that he was given the royal snub with no one giving him a damn. While others, however, claim that he was in a hurry to go for the shooting of Yamadonga, which is currently happening in Hyderabad. But, if it is such an important ceremony, for whose recognition junior NTR is desperately groping , wouldn't he cancel his shoot? This is all bull, and we know that they didn't take NTR's walking in with a warm smile.

It was a heavily-guarded affair blanketed by a posse of prive security guards. No journalists, not even those closest to either Balakrishna or Chandrababu Naidu were invited for the engagement ceremony. Inquisitive onlookers however, thronged to see from a distance if they could get a peek into the ceremony. But with so much security, I wonder even if the guests were able to catch on what was happening inside.

Balakrishna's house in Jubilee Hills was bustling with activity with an entourage of motrocades wheezing in and out of the premises. The guest list included: the Ramanaidu family, Nagarjuna family, Krishnam Raju family, all the Nandamuri brothers and cousins, the ANR family, the poet-laureate of Andhra C Narayana Reddy, among others. Chiranjeevi was conspicuous by his absence, and instead Allu Arvind made his presence felt.

Rammurthy Naidu, brother of Chandrababu Naidu, who said he wouldn't have anything to do with his brother's son's wedding, has come because he was called by Balakrishna. He came with the Nara family from his native place.

As was expected, and runoured, Daggubati Venkateshwara Rao and Purandareshwari played the achor role in the ceremony.

The ceremony got off to a start with the Chandrababu Naidu and his relatives went to Balakrishna's house in a Volvo. Chandrababu set aside his gruff looks for a while, and was laughing away most of the time.

The wedding will take place on August 26, 8.21 am.

LOKESH-BRAHMANI MARRIAGE: Has their marriage brought the Daggubati and Chandrababu Naidu families together?

The relationship between Daggubati Venkateswara Rao and his co-brother Nara Chandrababu Naidu has not been a cozy one for the last 10 years. After successfully using Daggubati to dethrone NTR from power, Chandrababu dropped him like a hot potato, so much so that the latter was even hounded out of BJP, along with Mohan Babu, thanks to Chandrababu's tacit understanding with the party for the 2000 polls.

After biding his time in political wilderness for almost a decade, both Daggubati and his wife Purandeswari bounced back, this time from Congress. Given this equation between Daggubati and Chandrababu, there have been only cold vibes between the two families for these last 10 years. Even at family functions, the two families hardly met. And Daggubati's wife Purandeshwari, it is reported, has never forgiven Chandrababu for using and dumping her husband. So, predictably, it is rumoured, that she tried to put a spanner in the marriage of Chandrababu Naidu's son Lokesh and Balakrishna's daughter Brahmani

"Not exactly," says Daggubati to a regional television channel. "In fact, it is the other way round. Our family has been taking active interest in the Lokesh-Brahmani marriage. Purandeswari has been personally looking after Brahmani's shopping needs for the marriage, and even coordinating with Bhuvaneswari, Chandrababu's wife, and lending her a helping hand.

But no where does Daggubati reveal that either he or his wife had a word with Chandrababu regarding the marriage. Treating Chandrababu as an outcast, the Daggubati family has been bonding with the brother and sister duo of Balakrishna and Bhuvaneswari. And, it is reliably learnt, Chandrababu, a pariah in the NTR family, is not aware of half the things that are going on in the name of marriage. But Daggubati insists that politics cannot and will not come in the way of Lokesh-Brahmani's marriage. The ball is clearly in Daggubati's court.