Court allows courting artistes to marry

KOCHI: Giving a green signal to a relationship that began behind the stage, the Kerala High Court on Thursday permitted a reality show winner to marry her fiance in accordance with the Special Marriage Act.Chandini Sreedharan - the winner of the Vivel Active Fair Big Break, a reality show aired on Surya TV - met her soulmate Anup during the show, of which Anup was a member of the supporting crew.Chandini, who was staying in the United States with her parents, came to Kerala to participate in the show and was staying in an apartment provided by the channel. The youngster had been pursuing a course in music and acting in the US. Her love affair became a legal issue, with her mother Rajani approaching the court with a habeas corpus petition alleging that her daughter was in the illegal custody of Anup since May 1, 2011. Rajani submitted before the court that she had filed objection when she came to know of Anup’s attempts to marry her daughter. When produced before the court on Wednesday, Chandini  submitted that she wanted to live with Anup, which the court endorsed.