After seven months of lavish pre-wedding celebrations, Anant Ambani, son of India’s wealthiest man, married pharmaceutical heiress Radhika Merchant in Mumbai on Friday, attracting thousands of guests.
The star-studded event saw appearances from celebrities like Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, and former British prime minister Tony Blair. Indian dignitaries included Bollywood stars Rajinikanth and Sanjay Dutt, former president Ram Nath Kovind, and members of India’s revered cricket team.
The Ambani family, who run India’s largest private corporation, Reliance Industries, left no stone unturned for the wedding. Mukesh Ambani, Anant’s father, is worth over $122 billion.
Due to the event, police closed roads around the 16,000-capacity Jio World Convention Center, owned by the Ambanis. Guests dressed in custom sarees, lehengas, and kurtas, potentially setting future Indian wedding fashion trends. International attendees also honored traditional dress codes, with designs by top Indian fashion designers.
John Cena wore an embroidered sky blue sherwani and white pants, while Nick Jonas dazzled in a baby pink, sequined outfit with matching satin trousers. His wife, Priyanka Chopra, wore a sunshine yellow sari. Fashion personalities like stylist Law Roach and designer Prabal Gurung also attended in stylish ensembles.
Kim and Khloé Kardashian, who avoided the red carpet, were seen on social media in gold and red saris respectively. Kim hinted at filming for their show “The Kardashians” during the event.
Inside, the venue transformed into a miniature version of the holy Indian city of Varanasi, as celebrities like Chopra and Cena were seen enjoying themselves. Anant Ambani wore a golden sherwani paired with sneakers for the arrival, changing later for the ceremony. Radhika Merchant wore hand-embroidered bridal couture by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, adhering to Gujarati traditions in an opulent red-trimmed ivory ensemble.
In a video, Anant’s mother, Nita Ambani, mentioned a recent visit to Varanasi to seek blessings for the couple. She aimed to reflect the city’s purity and cultural heritage at the wedding.
Nita Ambani’s gown, a custom peach silk ghagra, took over 40 days to create, designed by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and artisans Vijay Kumar and Monika Maurya. Fashion designer Manish Malhotra, the event’s creative director, crafted bespoke outfits for the Ambani family throughout the celebrations.
“Each detail, from decor to cuisine, attire to ambiance, is designed to immerse guests in joy, love, and celebration,” Malhotra said in an email to CNN.
Leading up to the ceremony, the couple participated in traditional rituals, including a sangeet with a performance by Justin Bieber and a private haldi ceremony. The wedding date was chosen based on auspicious days as per Hindu tradition.
Anant Ambani, a 29-year-old Brown University graduate, serves as director at an energy business run by Reliance. Radhika Merchant, also 29, is the daughter of Viren and Shaila Merchant, founders of Encore Healthcare.
While the exact cost of the wedding remains undisclosed, industry estimates place it in the hundreds of millions of dollars, with performers receiving substantial fees. Celebrations will continue through the weekend at the Ambani family’s 27-story Mumbai residence, Antilia, featuring a Shubh Ashirwad ceremony on Saturday and a Sunday reception with an “Indian chic” dress code.
These festivities conclude the seven-month lead-up to what is being called India’s wedding of the year, starting with a celebrity engagement party in January, followed by a communal dinner for 50,000 villagers, and a 1,200-guest pre-wedding bash with performances by Rihanna. In May, the Ambani family chartered a cruise ship for a four-day Mediterranean trip with entertainment from the Backstreet Boys and Pitbull. Notably, in 2018, Isha Ambani, Anant’s older sister, had a similarly grand wedding, attended by a host of celebrities and featuring a private concert by Beyoncé.