Anant Ambani Weds Radhika Merchant in Lavish Celebrity-Packed Ceremony

Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Asia's richest man, married Radhika Merchant, a pharmaceutical heiress and his childhood sweetheart, in a grand ceremony on Friday. The event, held at Mumbai's Jio World Drive convention centre, was attended by celebrities from around the world, including Bollywood stars, politicians, and top cricketers.

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The wedding saw a star-studded guest list. Reality TV stars Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian, Nigerian rapper Rema, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and global business leaders like Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser and Samsung Electronics chairman Jay Lee were present. Bollywood icons such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Rajinikanth also graced the occasion.

Celebrity Guests and Performances

The celebration included performances by international artists. Justin Bieber performed at the sangeet night last week. Earlier pre-wedding events featured concerts by the Backstreet Boys, Pitbull, David Guetta, and Katy Perry during a Mediterranean cruise. Rihanna performed at a pre-wedding party in March.

The couple's engagement took place in January 2023. The Ambanis hosted several lavish pre-wedding parties since then. A three-day celebration in Jamnagar included tech billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates among the 1,200 guests. The festivities also featured magic tricks by David Blaine and a visit to the Ambani's animal rescue centre.

Traditional Hindu Ceremony

Anant Ambani wore a rust orange sherwani for the traditional Hindu ceremony. He left from Antilia, the Ambani family residence, in a red car adorned with white flowers. The baraat assembled for a short journey to the mandap at the convention centre.

Designer duo Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla's pastel hues dominated the family's attire. Mukesh Ambani wore a sherwani in pastel shades, while Nita Ambani donned an elegant saree. Sister Isha and her husband Anand Piramal also followed the dress code. Shloka Mehta stood out in a hot pink lehenga adorned with crystals.

Political Dignitaries

The guest list included political figures such as former Indian president Ram Nath Kovind, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

American actor John Cena and Tamil superstar Rajinikanth joined Anil Kapoor and Ranveer Singh for a dance in the baraat. Shah Rukh Khan hugged Nita Ambani and danced with her as she welcomed him and his family.

Lavish Celebrations

The wedding is part of a three-day extravaganza that includes a small dinner for exclusive guests on Saturday and a grand reception on July 14. The Ambanis have not disclosed the cost of Anant's wedding. However, it is rumoured that Rihanna was paid USD 7 million for her performance and Bieber USD 10 million.

Mukesh Ambani has previously hosted lavish weddings for his other children. Beyoncé performed at Isha Ambani's 2018 nuptials, which had guests like Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. Coldplay's Chris Martin performed at Akash Ambani's pre-wedding bash in Switzerland.

Global Business Leaders

Global business tycoons attended the wedding. GSK plc chief executive Emma Walmsley was among them. The event has been dubbed as the wedding of the year due to its grandeur and high-profile guest list.

Mukesh Ambani is currently the world's 11th richest man with a net worth of USD 119 billion according to Bloomberg Billionaire Index. He has transformed Reliance Industries into a global empire spanning telecoms, retail, financial services, cricket, and luxury fashion over the past two decades.

Anant Ambani is involved in Reliance's energy businesses and serves on the board of Reliance Foundation. He is the youngest of Mukesh Ambani's three children who are all on Reliance Industries' board.

The Kardashians arrived late on Thursday to a red carpet welcome at the Taj Mahal Hotel. They took an auto rickshaw ride through Mumbai's bustling streets ahead of the wedding. They brought along stylists including celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton to capture every detail of their trip.

The wedding invitation itself was extravagant, costing Rs 5-6 lakh per piece. It featured an intricate chest with a mini silver temple inside. Three Falcon-2000 jets were rented to ferry guests to the event.

The entire top rung of Bollywood actors attended with their families. Superstars from South Indian cinema like Rajinikanth led their entourage too. Indian cricketers from different eras also graced the occasion.

The celebrations reflect Mukesh Ambani's penchant for hosting lavish events for his children's weddings. The 2018 wedding of Isha Ambani was considered India's most expensive wedding with costs estimated up to USD 100 million.

Anant styled his sherwani with intricate golden embroidery and precious gems adorning front button closures. He paired it with white pyjamas and beige sneakers embellished with gold sequins.

The three-day wedding extravaganza marks another milestone in Mukesh Ambani's tradition of hosting grand celebrations for his family events.