Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding on April 20

MUMBAI: Bollywood's most talked about pair -- Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai -- will take the plunge into matrimony on April 20 in a "small, intimate affair" without the trappings of film industry weddings.

Unlike the recent Liz Hurley-Arun Nayar wedding, where the paparazzi went berserk, the Abhi-Ash marriage will be a very private affair at the Bachchans' home Prateeksha in Juhu, sources close to the couple said on Tuesday.

"The families met and a decision has been taken on the date," a source said.

"It will be a small family affair attended by close friends like Anil and Tina Ambani and Amar Singh. The ceremonies are likely to be spread out over three days, culminating in the marriage on April 20," the source said.

Only the Bachchans' close friends -- who could be as few as 15 -- will be invited to the wedding.

Speculation about the date and venue for the marriage has been rife since Abhishek, 31, and Aishwarya, 33, got engaged on January 14.

The Bachchans and Aishwarya consistently denied all reports about a date for the marriage but on Tuesday, the actress' manager Hari Singh said he could neither confirm nor deny the news.

Sources said the wedding will be held on April 20, the Akshay Tritiya, considered the year's most auspicious day by most Hindus. The wedding date was apparently advanced because of the condition of Amitabh's mother Teji, who is being treated at Lilavati Hospital here for some months.

Since rumours of the Abhishek-Aishwarya romance began floating from the sets of their film "Umrao Jaan" in 2005, the couple has consistently maintained silence and refused to speak about the relationship in public.

After their engagement, they were seen in public, hand in hand, and visited various temples to perform poojas, but it was Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan who did the talking on the forthcoming union.

Former Miss World Aishwarya, described as a "simple" and "domesticated" girl by Amitabh, is said to be "manglik" and had to make trips to several temples to nullify the bad omen.

At a recent awards ceremony, Jaya gave an emotional welcome to her future daughter-in-law.

"She has a beautiful heart and a beautiful smile and I welcome her into the family," she said, bringing tears to Aishwarya's eyes.

Abhishek's very public engagement with actress Karisma Kapoor ended in 2003 while Aishwarya's relationship with Salman Khan was the talk of tinsel town before they broke up. She was also linked with Viveik Oberoi.

On screen, the couple did not have much luck with films like Kuch Na Kaho and Umrao Jaan, but their latest movie, Mani Ratnam's Guru, was helped to a large extent by news of their engagement on the weekend of its release.

Abhishek had in fact proposed to Aishwarya while on a trip to New York to publicise Guru. Aishwarya was crowned Miss World in 1994 and then entered the world of films.

Abhishek has gone from being known as Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan's son to carve a niche for himself in Bollywood by delivering knockout performances in films like Yuva and Guru.

The couple is currently busy fulfulling their commitments, with Aishwarya wrapping up Ashutosh Gowarikar's Jodha Akbar and Abhishek filming Goldie Behl's Drona.

Reports of their marriage first emerged when the couple sought blessings at Vindhyavasini Temple soon after their engagement. In what was seen as a pre-nuptial ceremony, they performed parikarama (circumambulation) of the deity and the Bhagwati Pooja.

A Kolkata-based designer in all likelihood will design the groom's wardrobe. Aishwarya may ask her favourite designer Neeta Lulla to kit out her wedding dress. Or it may be Abu-Jani, whose rich designs have cast a spell on Amitabh-Jaya, sources said.

It's not just Bollywood that has been affected by the film industry's most anticipated wedding in recent years. British filmmaker Gurinder Chaddha, who is expecting twins later this year, has decided to name them after Abhishek and Aishwarya if it is a girl-boy pair, a newspaper reported.

Aishwarya will continue to work in movies after her marriage, though Amitabh is often heard saying that "it is up to Abhishek and Aishwarya to decide whether she wants to work or not".