Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair are among the international guests who have arrived in Mumbai for the wedding of Asia’s richest man’s son on Friday.
Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, will wed Radhika Merchant, daughter of pharmaceutical tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant.
The four-day wedding extravaganza in Mumbai marks the culmination of a series of lavish parties the family has hosted since March.
Key roads in the city are sealed off for several hours daily until the festivities conclude on Monday.
The months of grand celebrations have already featured performances by pop stars like Rihanna and Justin Bieber.
However, the event has faced backlash – city residents have complained about traffic jams, and others have criticized the extravagant display of wealth.
On Friday, heavy rains led to waterlogging in some parts of the city.
Mukesh Ambani, 66, is currently 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 conglomerate operating in sectors ranging from petroleum and retail to financial services and telecoms.
Anant Ambani is the youngest of his three children, all of whom are on the board of Reliance Industries. The 29-year-old is involved in Reliance’s energy businesses and is on the board of the Reliance Foundation.
On Friday, the couple will marry in a traditional Hindu ceremony at the Jio World Convention Centre.
Reports say the family will host a grand reception at the weekend, before a final reception for their household staff on Monday.
Rumours on the internet suggest that Adele could be performing at the wedding, but the family has not confirmed this.
Pictures and videos of Kim Kardashian, who is in the city with her sister Khloé Kardashian, are being widely shared online.
Reports say the sisters have brought a team of stylists, including celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, along with a group of producers to capture every detail of their trip.
Former Indian president Ram Nath Kovind, British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron and US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti are also in the city to attend the wedding.
Mumbai police have labelled the wedding a “public event” since it would be attended by several international and Indian VIPs, reports Reuters news agency.
The city police has also imposed traffic restrictions around the venue.
From Friday to Monday, roads around the convention centre will be open only for “event vehicles” between 13:00 India time (07:30 GMT) to midnight, it said.
Rajan Mehra, CEO of air charter company Club One Air, told Reuters that the family had rented three Falcon-2000 jets to ferry wedding guests to the event.
“The guests are coming from all over and each aircraft will make multiple trips across the country,” he said.
The restrictions have sparked anger among city residents who say they are already struggling with traffic jams and monsoon flooding.
In June, the Ambanis organized another pre-wedding celebration, a luxury cruise from Italy to France. The Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Pitbull performed for the 800 guests, which included Bollywood stars and cricketers.
Then came the final round of celebrations, which began earlier this week when Bieber landed in Mumbai. Social media has been flooded with photos and videos of him singing in front of an ecstatic audience.
Money was also spent on constructing 14 temples inside a sprawling complex in Jamnagar to showcase India’s cultural heritage and provide a backdrop for the wedding. As part of the celebrations, the Ambanis hosted a mass wedding for 50 underprivileged couples.
On Wednesday, the family hosted a bhandara – a community feast for underprivileged people.
The Ambanis have not revealed the cost of the wedding, but wedding planners estimate they’ve already spent between 11 billion and 13 billion rupees ($132 million-$156 million). It was rumored Rihanna had been paid $7 million (£5.5 million) for her performance, while the figure suggested for Bieber is $10 million.
Comments are closed.