Social media posts by Reliance and Bollywood stars have sparked interest in the wedding, which has been criticised in some quarters.
The son of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani held a lavish wedding on Friday, making waves at home and abroad, with Ambani’s father’s $260 billion conglomerate, Reliance Holdings, heavily promoting the event on social media.
Reliance’s efforts, combined with posts from an array of Bollywood stars and media coverage, have stoked public interest in the wedding and overshadowed critical social media posts questioning the extravagance at a time when inequality is growing in India.
Ambani’s youngest son, Anant, 29, will marry his longtime girlfriend, Radhika Merchant, 29, in Mumbai. The ceremony is expected to be attended by celebrities and politicians, including Kim Kardashian, Mike Tyson, Tony Blair and Boris Johnson. The ceremony will be followed by a three-day celebratory reception.
One anonymous Reliance executive called the event “a powerful symbol of India’s elevated status on the world stage.”
“The presence of these distinguished individuals highlights India’s economic, political, intellectual and scientific capabilities,” said a memo circulated to journalists.
Ambani, Asia’s richest man, is known for throwing lavish parties, especially for his three children Akash, Isha and Anant, which cost millions and feature performances by international artists and a plethora of Bollywood stars.
It is unclear how much it cost, but it is expected to be Ambani’s most lavish gala event to date.
‘Splurge on spending’
Some, such as opposition politician Thomas Isaac, have argued the amount spent is “exorbitant”.
“Legally it may be their money, but such ostentatious spending is a crime against Mother Earth. [the] “Poor,” he said in X’s post.
The wedding was deemed a public event and traffic restrictions were imposed in Mumbai’s main business district for four days, sparking public anger.
With access limited and details closely guarded, an eager public is kept informed partly through Reliance’s official Facebook page, which has 2.3 million followers.
The account shared video clips of dance performances and photos, offering a glimpse into the private celebration.
One post A video posted to Reliance’s Facebook account this week, which garnered 54,000 likes, showed the Ambani family at a private music party dancing to Bollywood tunes – a common custom at Indian weddings – and was promoted with hashtags such as “#ARWeddingCelebrations.”
Media access to the wedding venue was restricted on Friday night, with only a limited number of photographers and TV crews allowed to film guests entering.
Outside the venue, onlookers stood under umbrellas in the rain taking photos, while the sounds of Bollywood could be heard from inside.
A foreign business executive in India who is planning to attend Ambani’s wedding this weekend told Reuters that organisers of the ceremony are likely to tape over guests’ mobile phone cameras as they enter the venue to stop photographs being taken.
Most of Ambani’s celebrations are heavily guarded.
The wedding festivities kicked off in March with a three-day pre-wedding party for 1,200 guests and a performance from superstar Rihanna, followed by a luxury European cruise for 800 guests in May.
A few days later, several Bollywood actresses posted pictures of themselves wearing luxury designer clothes on Instagram to their millions of followers, without revealing any details about Ambani’s cruise celebrations.
Due to the level of interest, Indian television news channels are following every minute of the wedding.
“The world is coming down… From the guest list to the food. Times Now will bring you all the details,” a ticker on a television news channel said on Friday night.
