PSA’s annual Mock Shaadi helps cultivate Desi community

The sparkling of the chandeliers and fairy lights hanging from the William Pitt Union’s ballroom lit up the path for students to celebrate the “wedding” of Audrika Khondaker and Avi Patel. The bride dressed in a heavily embroidered mauve-pink, abaya-style shalwar kameez, while the groom matched her outfit in a pink and white kurta set.

Pitt’s Pakistani and South Asian student associations collaborated to put together PSA’s annual Mock Shaadi event last Saturday. Shaadi is a common South Asian term, and PSA adapted multiple aspects of a traditional Pakistani wedding to create a night of celebration and culture for the Desi community according to Saad Khan, the PSA president and a junior chemistry major.

“Mock Shaadi is an annual event in which students get to experience and celebrate South Asian culture by taking part in a traditional Pakistani wedding,” Khan said. “This event is meant for fun and to educate the students at the University of Pittsburgh about South Asian culture. We honor South Asian wedding traditions and attempt to bring more South Asian visibility to campus.”

Students who attended were dressed in traditional Desi attire, from lehenga cholis, a set of an embroidered blouse and ankle-length skirt, to kurta pajamas, a long comfortable garment worn with loose embroidered pants.

The night began with the introduction of the mock bride and groom, two Pitt students, who made their entrances followed by cheers and claps from the crowd. The couple sat down on the loveseat at the very front of the room, decorated with pink and rose-colored petals, and listened as the bridesmaids and groomsmen gave their respective speeches.

There was a traditional slow dance for the newlyweds, followed by the cutting of a three-tier white frosted wedding cake. There were also multiple performances toward the end of the night to celebrate Desi culture. The lineup consisted of a performance from Avaaz, a South Asian a capella group, as well as numbers from Mastana, Nrityamala and First Class Bhangra, all of which are South Asian dance teams at Pitt. Other dance organizations, including Ya’baso Dance Team and Controlled Chaos, participated.

A buffet included traditional South Asian cuisine such as biryani, a mixed rice dish with multiple South Asian spices, and naan, or flatbread. There was also a henna table where students could get henna done for free.

Khan said PSA is fortunate to have a community that wants to help highlight Desi culture and tradition by offering its services, from Salem’s Halal Market and Grill to Peacock Creations Event Design.

Khondaker, the bride and PSA secretary, said there were a lot of elements involved in putting the event together, from decorations to catering and entertainment.

“Much like an actual wedding, we started planning this event months in advance, which included finding decorations, food, music and etc.,” Khondaker, a sophomore neuroscience major, said. “This meant that we had to choose the bride and groom in advance to make sure that the color theme matches their attire. We also reach out to many of the amazing performance teams that we have here on campus.”

Khondaker said she was nervous about being the bride, but it was an experience she enjoyed.

“This was such an amazing experience,” Khondaker said. “I am truly surrounded by the most extraordinary people. I do have to admit I was quite nervous for the event. But with the help of my friends, I was able to get my hair and makeup done with time to spare. Overall, the night went very smoothly, and I had a lot of fun talking to everyone, watching the performances and dancing the night away.”

Khan said the process of finding a bride and groom for the event depends on which club — PSA or SASA — decides to volunteer for which role that particular year.

“This year, PSA was given a role in choosing the bride, and to do so, we had all those who were interested fill out a Google form as to why they were interested in being the bride,” Khan said. “We chose the bride anonymously based on the best response that was provided.”

Meera Mistry, a first-year neuroscience major, said she attended the event because she was curious to see what it would be like and ultimately enjoyed the performances. 

“I thought the event would be really interesting,” Mistry said. “I’ve never heard of the concept of a fake wedding, and from my own experience, Desi weddings are so much fun, so I had to come to see for myself. The performances were spectacular, and it was fun to see the other Desi organizations participate.”

Ami Doshi, a first-year neuroscience major, said she enjoyed the henna designs offered during the evening, as well as a special dance number including the bride.

“The line for getting henna done was really long,” Doshi said. “People were eager to get something done and the designs were beautiful. But I think one of the cutest moments of the night was when the girls from PSA performed and pulled the bride onto the dance floor, who then danced to the choreography with them.”

Mistry said she felt sentimental seeing everyone dressed up in traditional attire, and that it reminded her of previous weddings she had attended.

“The evening made me feel nostalgic,” Mistry said. “It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been to a Desi wedding and the music, the food and seeing everyone in their beautiful traditional attire reminded me of Desi events back home. Having an event like this at college fosters a sense of community and comfort.”