- author, Zoya Mateen
- role, BBC News, Delhi
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Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and former British prime minister Tony Blair were among the international guests who arrived in Mumbai on Friday to attend the wedding of the son of Asia’s richest man.
Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, is set to marry Radhika Merchant, daughter of pharmaceutical tycoons Viren Merchant and Shaila Merchant.
The lavish four-day wedding reception in Mumbai was the latest in a series of lavish parties the family has hosted since March.
Major roads in the city will be closed for several hours each day until the end of the celebrations on Monday.
The months of lavish celebrations have already featured performances from pop stars such as Rihanna and Justin Bieber.
But it has also sparked a backlash, with city dwellers complaining about traffic congestion, while others question the ostentatious display of wealth during the endless celebrations.
Heavy rains fell in the city on Friday, with flooding reported in some areas.
Mukesh Ambani, 66, is currently the world’s 10th richest person with a net worth of $115 billion, according to Forbes magazine. Founded by his father in 1966, Reliance Industries is a huge conglomerate with operations in a wide range of sectors, from oil and retail to financial services and telecommunications.
Anant Ambani is the youngest of three children who sit on the board of Reliance Industries Ltd. The 29-year-old Ambani works in the company’s energy business and is also on the board of the Reliance Foundation.
The couple will get married in a traditional Hindu ceremony at the Geo World Convention Centre on Friday.
According to reports, the family plans to host a lavish reception over the weekend, followed by a final reception for housekeepers on Monday.
Internet rumours have suggested that Adele may perform at the wedding, but this has not been confirmed by the family.
According to Reuters, Mumbai Police have described the wedding as a “public event” as several international and Indian dignitaries will be attending.
City police also implemented traffic restrictions around the venue.
From Friday to Monday, roads around the convention centre will be open only to “event vehicles” between 1pm India time (7:30am GMT) and midnight, the agency said.
Rajan Mehra, CEO of charter airline Club One Air, told Reuters the family had rented three Falcon 2000 jets to transport wedding guests to the venue.
“Guests will be coming from all over the country and each aircraft will make multiple flights around the country,” he said.
The restrictions have sparked anger among city residents who say they are already plagued by traffic congestion and monsoon flooding.
Image source, Getty Images
The wedding celebrations began in March, when the family held a three-day pre-wedding party in their home state of Gujarat.
Among the 1,200 guests attending the gala were international celebrities, politicians and business figures, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Bill Gates.
The party kicked off with a performance from Rihanna on the first day, Diljit Dosanjh, the first Punjabi singer to perform at Coachella, took to the stage on the second day, and rapper Akon closed the show on the final day of the celebrations.
In June, the Ambanis planned another pre-wedding celebration, this time a luxury cruise from Italy to France, with the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry and Pitbull performing for 800 guests, including Bollywood stars and cricketers.
Now comes the final round of celebrations that began when Bieber arrived in Mumbai earlier this week.
Social media is filled with photos and videos of him singing to enthusiastic audiences.
Large sums of money were also pumped into building 14 temples across the vast grounds of Jamnagar to showcase India’s cultural heritage and provide a backdrop for the wedding. As part of the celebrations, the Ambanis also hosted a mass wedding for 50 underprivileged couples.
On Wednesday, the family hosted a bandara, a community banquet for the less fortunate.
The Ambanis have not revealed how much they spent on the wedding, but wedding planners estimate they have already spent between 11 and 13 billion rupees. [$132m-$156m]Rihanna is rumoured to have received $7 million (£5.5 million) for her performance, while Bieber’s pay is estimated at $10 million.
