When you’ve got money like the Ambanis, having the Khans of Bollywood dance for you isn’t a big deal!
At the grand matrimonial celebration of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son, Anant Ambani, and Radhika Merchant, daughter of Viren Merchant, the CEO of Encore Helathcare and board member of APL Apollo Tubes, a steel manufacturing company, international and national celebrities have rounded up to become a part of the couple’s lavish pre-wedding gala.
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding
Merchant and Ambani, who are set to tie the knot on July 12, had international R&B icon and beauty mogul, Rihanna, perform after 8 years on the road. But more than that, Bollywood luminaries, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan took to the stage and stole the spotlight by dancing together — a rare occurrence.
The Khans embraced each other, arm on arm, and danced their hearts out to Naatu Naatu, the Telugu music score which earned an Oscar award. Drapped in desi attire, the three crème de la crème of Bollywood had everyone in the audience mesmerized by their electrifying performance, with not just the onlookers but also the virtual audience going gaga over the camaraderie of the stars.
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The high profile pre-wedding festivities of Anant, 28, and Radhika, 29, began on March 1, kickstarting with an event where the Ambani family served food to the local people in Jamnagar, Gujrat.
Anant is the youngest of Mukesh and Anita’s three children, all of whom are on the board of Reliance Industries. Anant is involved in Reliance’s energy businesses and is on the board of Reliance Foundation.
Mukesh Ambani currently holds the title of being the world’s 10th richest man with a net worth of $115 billion, according to Forbes. Reliance Industries, founded by his father in 1966, is a massive company that operates in different sectors from refining and retail to financial services and telecom.
Ambanis have a knack for hosting the most extravagant weddings in India, and worldwide. In 2018, pop sensation Beyoncé performed at Isha Ambani’s pre-wedding festivities held in Udaipur city, while former US Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry were also among the guests gracing the event.
A Bloomberg report at the time cited sources who put the cost of Isha’s wedding at $100m – this was denied by a “person close to the family” who said the bill was around $15m.
“The guest list appears to have more RSVPs from global corporate titans than the weddings of Mr Ambani’s two older children in 2018 and 2019, underscoring Reliance’s growing clout and role as a conduit to the Indian economy for global tech, media and energy giants,” Bloomberg reported.
The star-studded guest list of around 2,000 included King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk and wife Jetsun Pema of Bhutan, who arrived on Thursday. Besides Rihanna, Arijit Singh, Ajay-Atul and Diljit Dosanjh as well as illusionist David Blaine will perform during the celebrations.
The guest list includes actors Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Kajol, Katrina Kaif, Madhuri Dixit, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonam Kapoor, and Anil Kapoor, among other stars form the constellation of the entertainment fraternity.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Saudi Aramco chairperson Yasir Al Rumayyan, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company CEO and MD Sultan Al Jaber, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger, BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink, American scientist Dr Richard Klausner, besides cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar attended the lavish pre-wedding festivities.
