New Delhi
Reuters
—
Charter jets for bigwigs and celebrities, performances by Rihanna, and orders to wear Jungle Fever costumes when visiting animal shelters – billionaire Mukesh Ambani. I'm about to start a big Indian wedding celebration for my son.
Mr. Ambani, head of Indian conglomerate Reliance and Asia's richest man with a net worth of $114 billion, according to Forbes, is known for never dividing the party.
The moment that transfixed India was a three-day pre-wedding jamboree for his youngest son Anant Ambani, 28, who is set to marry his longtime girlfriend Radhika Merchant, 29. It begins Friday and is expected to host 1,200 guests. and in the town of Jamnagar, near Reliance's main refinery in the western state of Gujarat.
The wedding itself did not take place until July, and the de facto festivities began on Wednesday when Ananth and his bride-to-be hosted a communal dinner for local villagers that drew 51,000 people.
In addition to pop and R&B superstar Rihanna, American magician David Blaine will also perform, and traditional ceremonies will also be performed at the temple complex.
Two sources said Anant's pre-wedding festivities included Bill Gates, Mehta's Mark Zuckerberg, fellow Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and Kumar Mangalam Birla. Besides, many cricketers and Bollywood film stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan are also likely to attend. The person with direct knowledge of the plans declined to be named.
Disney CEO Bob Iger, who on Wednesday announced an $8.5 billion merger of Indian media properties with Reliance Corp., may also be in attendance.
Anant is a director of Reliance's new energy business and one of imperial heir Ambani's three children. Merchant is a director of Encore Healthcare Ltd. in India.
Ambani's daughter Isha's wedding in 2018 also made headlines, with some calling it a mini-Davos. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry were among those sharing the dance floor with Bollywood stars at the time.
Guests at Anant Ambani's gala will be able to taste 500 dishes prepared by around 100 chefs.
Hairstylists, make-up artists and Indian wear seamstresses will be available, but they will be pampered on a “first come, first served” basis only, according to planning documents provided to invitees and seen by Reuters.
They will visit the rescue center, which is home to more than 2,000 animals and is home to one of the world's largest elephant hospitals, according to Reliance. The dress code is “Jungle Fever,” and animal-print clothing and Hawaiian shirts are recommended.
Round-trip charter jet flights from New Delhi and Mumbai are also offered, but guests are asked to limit themselves to two pieces of luggage or three suitcases per couple. The document warns that “if you bring more,” there is no guarantee they will arrive on the same flight.
Guests are also expected to have reasonable expectations for laundry services.
“Clothing left at Steam (Press) will be returned within three hours. It may not be possible to expect or request that it be returned sooner than that,” the newspaper said.
