Wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant

Last updated

Wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant
Date12 July 2024;32 days ago (12 July 2024)
Venue Antilia
Jio Convention Center
Location Mumbai, India
ParticipantsAnant Ambani
Radhika Merchant

The wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant was a 6-day event that took place from 12 July 2024 until the 30 July 2024 in the city of Mumbai, India at the Antilia building and Jio Convention Center. [1] [2] The groom was the son of Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in Asia, and Nita Ambani. Mukesh Ambani is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, while the bride is the daughter of Viren Merchant, the CEO of a healthcare company. [1] [3]

Contents

The wedding was described as India's "wedding of the year" [1] [4] and "India’s own royal wedding". [5] The New York Times described it as introducing "the world to [India]'s Gilded Age". [6] Estimates for the wedding's cost range from $300 million [7] to $600 million, [8] [9] leading to criticism regarding wealth inequality in India. [10]

Background

Anant Ambani (born April 10, 1995) is the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, who has an estimated net worth of $123.3 billion, making him the richest man in Asia and ninth in the world. [1] [7] Mukesh Ambani is the head of Reliance Industries and Anant is in charge of Reliance's energy business and is the director of other boards of Reliance subsidaries. [3] [7] He also runs Vantara, an animal rescue center in Jamnagar. [1] He graduated with a bachelor's in business management from Brown University in 2017. [7]

Radhika Merchant (born December 18, 1994) is the daughter of Viren Merchant, who is the CEO of Encore Healthcare and has been described as a pharmaceutical tycoon. [1] Radhika has served as the marketing director for her father's company after graduating from New York University. [1] [3]

The two said they met in 2017 during a drive after being introduced by mutual friends. [1] [3] On 29 December 2023, Ambani proposed at the Shrinathji Temple in Rajasthan. [3] [11]

Pre-wedding festivities

The first pre-wedding celebration was held in Jamnagar, with around 1,200 invited guests at the beginning of March 2024. [12] A number of entertainers performed, such as Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, as well as Rihanna, who gave her first full-length concert in eight years. [12] Guests were told to wear jungle fever outfits when visiting Vantara, the animal rescue shelter run by Anant Ambani. [13] The second celebration was a four-day cruise through the Mediterranean in late May 2024. [12] Guests saw surprise performances from the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Pitbull. [12]

Leading up to the ceremony on 2 July 2024, the Ambani family organized a mass wedding ceremony for more than 50 underprivileged couples, [14] and the week after held a pre-wedding concert with performances by Justin Bieber, and Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, and Salman Khan. [15] The sangeet ceremony for the couple, where the bride and groom, and their families performed choreographed dances on July 5, with several poojas and a mehendi ceremony following. On July 11, the bride and groom celebrated their haldi, where the couple are covered in turmeric paste as a blessing. [16]

Bride's attire

Lehenga

The wedding dress was designed by the fashion house "Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla" owned by fashion and costume designers Sandeep Khosla and Abu Jani (who had won the National Film Award for Best Costume Design for their work in Devdas (2002 Hindi film)), Radhika's bridal lehenga featured zardozi cut-work with Gujarati cultural significance, a trailing ghagra with a second detachable trail, a 5-meter head veil, a blouse, and a tissue shoulder dupatta. [17] The ghagra, adorned with three borders of red, showcased the finest amalgamation of naqshi, saadi, and zardozi, with intricate floral booties decorated with stones, sequins, tamba tikkis, and red resham. [18] The head veil (dupatta) featured delicate jaali and cut-work, while the detachable trail boasted an 80-inch zardozi marvel. The fully embroidered red shoulder dupatta added maximal drama to the silhouette. [19] [20]

Her lehenga also featured a personalised "AR" brooch which represents the initials of her name and her husband Anant's name. [21]

Jewelry

The jewelry pieces worn by Merchant on her wedding day included a central emerald and diamond necklace that was designed by Nisha Mehta of the Nisha M company based in Mumbai. The necklace was reportedly a five strand of diamonds with a large pendant of Zambian emerald and diamond suspended from it. She was also wearing heirloom family jewels gifted to her by her mother Shaila. [22]

Critical appraisal

India Today described the lehenga as "fairytale to life". [23] Another newspaper company described the lehenga as "Radhika's bridal ensemble was a vision of elegance and tradition, featuring a beautifully embroidered lehenga that showcased the designers' signature craftsmanship." [24] [25]

Pinkvilla stated that the "Bride looks like a royal queen in her FIRST LOOK". [26]

Wedding

The reported $600 million, [27] four day wedding rituals began on 12 July 2024 with a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony followed by a reception that was planned to run through the weekend. [15] The wedding festivities were be split between Antilia, the home of the Ambanis, and the Jio World Convention Centre (Jio is a subsidiary of Reliance). [10]

The venue was decorated with floral designs and sculptures created by florist Preston Bailey who was hired in April 2024. Among the designs by Bailey were 60 floral animal sculptures including tigers, elephants, monkeys and replicas of the couples two dogs. Each sculpture, reportedly required between 100,000 to 200,000 flowers, which were majorly sourced from India. [28]

The guest list was estimated in the "few thousands" with Mumbai Police preemptively rerouting traffic around the Mumbai venue. [10] The guest list, although not confirmed by the Ambani family, included Bollywood celebrities Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav. Along with former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin H Nasser, US politician John Kerry, and celebrities like Adele, David Beckham, John Cena and the Kardashians. [15]

Response

Some Indian politicians criticised the amount of money spent on the wedding, with Shahid Siddiqui, a former member of the upper house of Parliament, calling it the "most vulgar and ostentatious marriage ever seen" and Thomas Isaac, a former finance minister for Kerala and member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), stating that "...such ostentatious expenditure is a sin." [10]

Members of the Indian public were divided about the wedding. Some called the wedding an "awe-inspiring showcase" while others pointed to how it highlighted the uneven development, as its budget could possibly eclipse the yearly education budget of several small Indian states. Reportedly the most common reaction in the working class of Mumbai, was frustration on the system which has allowed the inequality of resources. One worker echoed a common strain of "Ambani earned his money, and it’s his right to spend it on his own children", but bemoaned how the city could find resources to assist in the wedding security, but not keep up infrastructure concerns like potholes or flooding. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reliance Industries</span> Indian multinational conglomerate

Reliance Industries Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai. Its businesses include energy, petrochemicals, natural gas, retail, entertainment, telecommunications, mass media, and textiles. Reliance is the largest public company in India by market capitalisation and revenue, and the 100th largest company worldwide. It is India's largest private tax payer and largest exporter, accounting for 7% of India's total merchandise exports. The company has relatively little free cash flow and high corporate debt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhirubhai Ambani</span> Indian billionaire businessman (1932–2002)

Dhirajlal (Dhirubhai) Hirachand Ambani was an Indian billionaire businessman who founded Reliance Industries in 1958. Ambani took Reliance public in 1977. In 2016, he was honoured posthumously with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour for his contributions to trade and industry. Ambani faced numerous accusations of market manipulation, tax evasion, and cronyism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mukesh Ambani</span> Indian billionaire (born 1957)

Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani is an Indian businessman and the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries. With an estimated net worth of $123.3 billion as of July 2024, he is the richest person in Asia and 11th richest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anil Ambani</span> Indian businessman (born 1959)

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani is an Indian businessman, chairman and managing director of Reliance Group. The Reliance Group was created in July 2006 following a demerger from Reliance Industries Limited. He led several stocks listed corporations including Reliance Capital, Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Power and Reliance Communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Ambani</span> Indian actress (born 1957)

Tina Ambani is an Indian former actress. She is married to Anil Ambani, chairman of Reliance Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dupatta</span> Cloth wrap worn as a shawl, scarf, or veil in South Asia

The dupattā, also called chunni, chunari,chundari, lugda, rao/rawo, gandhi, pothi and odhni is a long shawl-like scarf traditionally worn by women in the Indian subcontinent. Traditionally, in India, the dupatta is part of the women's lehenga or ghagra/chaniya choli. A lehenga is a three-piece outfit which is made up of a skirt, called a ghagra or chaniya; a blouse, called a choli, and a dupatta. The dupatta is worn over one shoulder, and traditionally, married women would also wear the dupatta over the head in temples or in front of elders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manish Malhotra</span> Indian fashion designer (b. 1966)

Manish Malhotra is an Indian fashion designer, couturier, costume stylist, entrepreneur, filmmaker and revivalist based in Mumbai, India.

Khada dupatta is the traditional wedding dress of Hyderabadi Muslim brides in the Indian subcontinent. It is an elaborate wedding ensemble comprising a kurta (tunic), chooridaar, and a 6-yard dupatta.

Reliance Group is an Indian conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai, India. The company, which was formed after Dhirubhai Ambani's business was divided up, is headed by his younger son Anil Ambani. Reliance Group has five listed companies, Reliance Power, Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Home Finance, and Reliance Health. The group provides financial services, construction, entertainment, power, health care, manufacturing, defence, aviation, and transportation services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anand Jain</span> Indian business executive (born 1957)

Anand Jain is an Indian business executive. He is the Chairman of Jai Corp Limited. He has 30 years of experience in various businesses, with expertise in real estate, finance and capital markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antilia (building)</span> Skyscraper mansion in Mumbai, India

Antilia is the residence of billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family. It is located on Billionaires' Row in Mumbai, India. Built from 2006 to 2010 at a cost of nearly USD 2 billion, it was valued at USD 4.6 billion in 2023. It is one of the most expensive house or residence in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghagra choli</span> Traditional clothing of women from Indian Subcontinent

Ghagra choli is a type of ethnic clothing for women from the Indian Subcontinent, notably in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh. In Punjab, the lehenga is traditionally worn with a kurti. It is a combination of the gagra or lehenga and the choli (blouse), however in contemporary and modern usage lehenga choli is the more popular and widely accepted term by fashion designers, trend setters, and boutiques in South Asia, since ghagra is synonymous with the half-slip (petticoat) worn as an undergarment below the sari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabyasachi Mukherjee</span> Indian fashion designer

Sabyasachi Mukherjee is an Indian fashion designer, jewelry designer, retailer and couturier from Kolkata, India. Since 1999, he has sold designer merchandise using the label Sabyasachi. Mukherjee is one of the Associate Designer Members of Fashion Design Council of India and the youngest board member of the National Museum of Indian Cinema. He has designed costumes for Bollywood films such as Guzaarish, Baabul, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Raavan, and English Vinglish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian wedding clothes</span> Set of clothes worn by the bride, bridegroom and other relatives attending the wedding.

Indian wedding clothes are elaborate set of clothes worn by the bride, bridegroom, and other relatives attending the wedding.

Anamika Khanna is an Indian fashion designer who operates from her studio situated in Kolkata. She has been covered by the Business of Fashion (BOF) for being the Indian designer who has blended traditional Indian textiles and techniques with Western silhouette and tailoring. She is the first Indian designer to have an International label: "Ana mika". Her creations are sold online and offline stores across India and abroad. Before entering the fashion industry, Anamika was a classical dancer and painter.

Hill Grange High School was a private school for boys and girls located on Pedder Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nita Ambani</span> Indian philanthropist (born 1963)

Nita Ambani is an Indian philanthropist and businesswoman. She is the chairperson and founder of the Reliance Foundation, Dhirubhai Ambani International School and a director of Reliance Industries. She is married to Reliance Industries Limited's chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani. With a family fortune estimated in excess of US$117.8 billion, the Ambanis are among the richest in the world. She is also an art collector and the owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Mumbai Indians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre</span> Cultural and exhibition space in Mumbai, India

The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) is a performing arts and multi-disciplinary cultural and exhibition space located in the city of Mumbai, India, that opened on 31 March 2023. The center was founded by Nita Ambani, philanthropist and chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, to "preserve and promote Indian arts." It is part of the Jio World Centre complex in the Bandra Kurla Complex of Mumbai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion of Radhika Merchant</span> Describes the fashion and style of Radhika Merchant

The fashion of Radhika Merchant, has had a substantial impact on the clothing industry ever since the public revelation of her relationship with businessman Anant Ambani in 2017 until leading up to her wedding in 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani is set to throw a grand wedding for his son. Here's what to know". AP News . 6 July 2024. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant: Bieber performs at India's mega wedding". BBC News . 8 July 2024. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Hasan, Sadiba (4 June 2024). "What We Know About the Ambani Wedding". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  4. ↑ Mogul, Rhea (3 July 2024). "The son of Asia's richest man is getting married in one of India's most anticipated — and lavish — weddings of the year". CNN . Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  5. ↑ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (12 July 2024). "Ambani wedding: after months of celebrations, the 'Windsors of India' finally set to marry". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  6. ↑ Das, Anupreeta (12 July 2024). "A Wedding Puts India's Gilded Age on Lavish Display". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Mudambi, Veer. "Brown University alum to have wedding of the year. It's estimated to cost $320 million". The Providence Journal . Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  8. ↑ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (12 July 2024). "Ambani wedding: after months of celebrations, the 'Windsors of India' finally set to marry". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  9. ↑ iyer, rahul (27 July 2024). "Anant Ambani: A Glimpse into His Life and Legacy". Leader Biography. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Aggarwal, Mithil; Chhetri, Aishwarya Thapa (12 July 2024). "'The crazy richest wedding ever': Son of Asia's richest man marries after months of lavish events". NBC News . Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  11. ↑ Dolan, Leah (11 July 2024). "A timeline of the 7-month-long Ambani mega-wedding". CNN . Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Wickman, Kase (5 July 2024). "Everything to Know About the Ambani Wedding". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  13. ↑ Mehta, Tanvi; Pandya, Dhwani; Shah, Aditi (1 March 2024). "Ambani son's pre-wedding bash to feature Rihanna, tycoons and Bollywood stars". Reuters . Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  14. ↑ Indian billionaire organises mass wedding for over 50 underprivileged couples. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024– via apnews.com.
  15. 1 2 3 Maqbool, Rafiq; Kakade, Rajanish (12 July 2024). "The son of Asia's richest man is set to marry in the year's most extravagant wedding". AP News . Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  16. ↑ "The Ambani Wedding, a timeless celebration of love, heritage and unity that will be remembered for years to come : A look at how this cultural opulence led to economic boost". The Times of India. 21 July 2024. ISSN   0971-8257. Archived from the original on 21 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  17. ↑ "How Radhika Merchant's Panetar lehenga symbolises Gujarati connect". Indian Express . 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  18. ↑ "'Dulhan' Radhika Merchant Wore A 'Panetar' Lehenga With A 5-Meter-Long Trail For Wedding Day". Bollywood Shaadis. 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  19. ↑ "Radhika Merchant's wedding lehenga decoded: From designer to stylist, know all about her bridal look". Economic Times . 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  20. ↑ "Inside the Ambani wedding: Radhika Merchant makes for a stunning bride". Lifestyle Asia . 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  21. ↑ "Radhika Merchant wore a personalised 'AR brooch' on her 'Panetar' wedding lehenga and a stunning AR ring too!". Times Of India . 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 14 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  22. ↑ "Everything We Know about the Bride's Emerald Jewelry at the Ambani Wedding". Town & Country. 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  23. ↑ "Radhika Merchant brings a fairytale to life in dreamy lehenga for wedding with Anant Ambani". India Today . 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  24. ↑ "Radhika Merchant looks nothing short of a dream in her wedding attire". Deccan Herald . 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  25. ↑ "First glimpse of Radhika Merchant's dreamy bridal look goes viral". DNA India . 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  26. ↑ "Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant Wedding: Bride looks like a royal queen in her FIRST LOOK; see pics". Pinkvilla . 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  27. ↑ Burback, Emily (19 July 2024). "Exclusive: See New Photos of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's Opulent Wedding". Town & Country. Archived from the original on 21 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  28. ↑ Kim, Leena (18 July 2024). "The Ambani Wedding's Floral Designer Tells All". Town & Country. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  29. ↑ Shih, Gerry; Gupta, Anant (16 July 2024). "Across river from lavish Indian wedding, frustration and flooded streets". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.