When a member of one of India’s wealthiest families gets married, celebrity guests and impressive pomp are nothing out of the ordinary. But it’s not every day that guests include royals, business titans, Bollywood luminaries and Rihanna, for three days of a pre-wedding spectacular, months before the actual ceremony.
Lavish celebrations starting Friday for Anant Ambani, whose father heads Reliance Industries, have drawn public attention in India despite — or perhaps because of — the way they highlight inequality in a country that has enjoying economic growth, but where millions still live in deep poverty.
Mr Ambani, 28, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, will welcome guests to a huge venue in the western Indian state of Gujarat, along with his fiancee, Radhika Merchant. Ms Merchant, 29, comes from a family that owns healthcare businesses and is trained in Indian classical dance.
The couple kicked off the festivities earlier this week with a community feast: hosting thousands of people from neighboring villages and serving them Gujarati delicacies.
But for the main event starting on Friday night, more than 1,000 guests are expected, including some of the world’s richest people. Notable guests include Bill Gates, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Walt Disney’s Bob Iger. current and former prime ministers of Canada, Sweden and Qatar; the king and queen of Bhutan; and Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit. Among the luxurious touches planned are chartered flights for guests and people available to iron their clothes or help apply their makeup.
The guest list is part of the event. Visitors are not just (or even) friends, but attractions in their own right. Apart from enjoying the spectacle, many will appreciate the opportunity to relax with India’s most important business family at the bar. Mr. Iger’s presence, in particular, seems well-timed: Nita Ambani, Mukesh Ambani’s wife, is reportedly poised to become chairman of the board of the company created by Reliance’s merger with Walt Disney Media in India.
There is a precedent for extravagant Ambani weddings. A ceremony for Anant’s sister in 2018 was attended by two former US Secretaries of State, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, both reportedly danced to bhangraa genre of pop music from the Punjab region of India.
This time, the Ambani family commissioned women artisans from the region to weave handmade scarves as gifts for guests and as a tribute to Indian heritage. Dozens of expert chefs will prepare dishes, the estimated number of which ranges from 500 to 2,500, according to some media.
The average annual salary in India is about $2,750, but lavish feasts are a regular part of Indian weddings, even for people of modest means. The Ambanis spill over like any other family — albeit on an entirely different scale.
A video invitation that has it went viral sets the agenda. The theme of Day 1 is “An Evening in Everland” and the dress code is “cocktail elegant”. On the second day, the “Walk on the Wild Side”, guests are invited to dress in animal print before an evening of dancing and music.
Comfortable footwear is recommended on the final day, when guests will tour an animal rescue, rehabilitation and conservation project that is the groom’s favorite charity.
That evening, dressed in traditional Indian clothing, guests will witness the ‘Hastakshar’, the signing ceremony between the couple, at a temple.
The actual wedding isn’t until July. It will probably be fancy too.
Alex Travelli contributed to the report.