Aishwarya, Abhishek make a stylish joint appearance at Manish Malhotra's Diwali bash

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan arrived together at fashion designer Manish Malhotra's Diwali party in Mumbai on Thursday night. Aishwarya wore red, while Abhishek opted for black as the couple posed for photographers at the celebration.

The party brought together several Bollywood celebrities, including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol and Karan Johar. The appearance also came as Abhishek prepares for King, while Aishwarya is yet to announce her next film.

Aishwarya wore a red saree with an elaborate gold border. She paired it with kundan jewellery, matching bangles and red lipstick. Abhishek wore a textured black ethnic jacket with black trousers and glasses. Credit: Yogen Shah Kareena, Saif, Akshay and others attend the party

Kareena attended the Diwali celebration in a shimmering gold-and-silver saree, while Saif wore a black kurta. Akshay arrived with his wife, Twinkle, and their son, Aarav. The family wore matching ivory outfits.

Madhuri attended with her husband, Dr Shriram Nene, and wore a pink saree. Kajol arrived with her daughter, Nysa. Karisma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Karan Johar and Shalini Passi were also among the guests.More about the couple

Aishwarya and Abhishek have been married for 19 years. They first met on the sets of Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke in 2000 and married on 20 April 2007. They have also shared the screen in films including Kuch Naa Kaho, Umrao Jaan, Guru and Dhoom 2. The couple welcomed their daughter, Aaradhya, in 2011.

Their wedding was one of Bollywood's most closely watched celebrity events. Before the wedding celebrations, however, Aishwarya was caught off guard by a surprise roka ceremony at her home shortly after Abhishek proposed.

In an old interview with Filmfare, Aishwarya said she was unfamiliar with the tradition. “I didn't even know there's something called a ‘roka’ ceremony,” she said. Explaining that she came from a South Indian family, she added, “We are South Indians, so I don't know what a roka is, and suddenly there's this call from their house to ours: ‘We are coming.’”

She recalled Abhishek calling her in a hurry to say that his family was already on its way. “We are all coming, and I can't stop Dad. We are on our way, this evening. We are coming to your place,” he told her. Aishwarya remembered responding, “Oh my God!”

Her father, Krishnaraj Rai, was out of town and joined the ceremony over a phone call. “So, this roka is happening with a call to my father, who is out of town,” Aishwarya recalled.

Her mother, Brindya Rai, was also taken by surprise. By the time Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and other members of the Bachchan family arrived, Aishwarya and her mother were still trying to understand what was happening. “Mum is here, we are here. They've all arrived home, they are emotional and all,” she said.

Aishwarya then turned to her mother and asked, “Mom, okay... is this... is this an engagement? Like, what just happened?” The ceremony formalised Aishwarya and Abhishek's engagement before their wedding.What are Abhishek and Aishwarya working on?

Abhishek was last seen in Raja Shivaji. He will next appear in Shah Rukh Khan's action thriller King, directed by Siddharth Anand. The film is scheduled to be released on December 24.

Aishwarya's last theatrical release was Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan II. She has not announced her next film.- EndsALSO READ | Abhishek Bachchan calls Aishwarya Rai his soulmate, recalls love story