Mumbai— In a display of opulence so dazzling it could be seen from space, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant tied the knot in what could only be described as the “Event of the Millennium.” The wedding that cost more than the GDP of a small nation, aka pocket money if you’re an Ambani, cost just about five thousand crore rupees (5000 crore) or eight hundred eighty-seven million seventy-one thousand Australian Dollars ($887,071,000 AUD). It was a spectacle that left the rest of the world in awe, the city of Mumbai jam-packed, and bored the bits out of me, just like Shloka Ambani, who was seen dozing off sitting next to the Indian Prime Minister at the Mangal Utsav one of the extended Ambani wedding festivities.
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Shloka? More like Shl-ogaya
Poor Shloka, I don’t blame her, I too was dozing off while looking at my social media feed, full of wedding reels. I wonder, why they didn’t telecast the Ambani wedding on Jio Cinema – it could easily surpass the IPL telecast ratings or even the world cup! I could totally relate to memes where Anant was seen dancing with the caption ‘Papa mujhse aur nahi Ho raha!’, seemingly tired of the prolonged events.
Seriously Anant Ambani looks really tired #AnantRadhika #AnanyaPanday #AnantRadhikaCelebration #Mumbai #MukeshAmbani #MaheshBabu #IndvsPakWCL2024 #Indian2Disaster #INDvZIM #NarendraModi #RadhikaMerchant #12julynandi #JimmyAnderson #jaiswal #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/8fnBkVangV
— Sanjiv Kumar Prajapati (@Pr18Sanjiv) July 13, 2024
But what was even more excruciating? Getting stuck in traffic jams. One of Mumbai’s important business districts Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), usually a hub of serious business dealings, was temporarily transformed into a festive la la land – or should I say chaos. Traffic diversions and road blockages were in place to ease out the congestion and make way for the Band Baja Baraatis.
So while the celebs from all parts of the world were dancing for their ‘close’ friend’s wedding procession, I was wobbling on the backseat of my Uber as it drove through the roads filled with potholes, crawling through utterly slow traffic and braving the incessant rains. That’s a common man’s life I suppose. And as bizarre as it may sound, employees working in offices located around the BKC area were asked to work from home. It seems that even spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations needed to take a backseat for the pomp and show.
To be honest, initially it was fun looking at the photos of celebs and insider reels. I’m talking about the 3-day gala that took place within the premises of Anant Ambani’s pet project, the Vantara wildlife sanctuary at Jamnagar (Gujarat), where Bill Gates, Zuckerberg, Ivanka Trump and RiRi showed up in March this year.
Next in June was the oh-so-lavish cruise far far away from India in an exotic Mediterranean location. My interest levels started plummeting here and I was more interested in the local reports from Italy, where locals complained of the huge influx of ‘Indians’ and were sick of demands made by the guests. Apparently, some restaurants even refused to serve food to the wedding party, oh boy! Was this sweet revenge for the countless times we’ve Indianised their pasta with our garam masala? Talking of boys, the Backstreet Boys temporarily reunited to perform at this celebration, which, with just 800 guests, was a comparatively private affair.
By July, I was prepping for the Mumbai rains, but little did I know I’d have to mentally prepare for the 6-day wedding celebrations bombarding my social feed too. The guest list read like a who’s who of the global elite, featuring celebrities, world leaders, business tycoons…and Justin Bieber in a ‘Chaddi-Baniyan’?
Rumour has it that even the Sultan of Brunei was overheard asking, “How do they afford all this?” Elaborate ethnic wear, finely cut emeralds, rubies, diamonds, watches and an overexposure of Bollywood. Uff! The photos of wedding guests almost felt like each one finally wore all the jewellery they usually keep safe in bank lockers for years, paired with flashy Indian wear that displayed top class weaves and craftsmanship.
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Jaya Bachchan’s statement neckpiece made her lose sense of touch, she couldn’t event feel her heavy pallu sliding down her shoulder. Shweta Bachchan Nanda’s neckpiece almost felt like she used a portion of her father’s costume from the film Shehenshah. But the DDC’s – a code name for the groomsmen– won big. Anant gifted each of his Boy squad, almost 25 of them, including Shah Rukh Khan and Ranveer Singh an Audemars Piguet watch each costing $355060 (AUD). No wonder all his friends were dancing as if there’s no tomorrow.
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How can I forget The Kardarshian sisters, who were seen taking a ‘TukTuk’ ride, what we Indians call Auto-Rickshaw, on the streets of Mumbai. Let me tell you, it was all part of the display. The area where they were put up in South of Mumbai doesn’t have rickshaws plying. In fact, auto rickshaws are restricted in South of Mumbai and you get to ride them only in the suburban areas of Mumbai. But here I was watching Kim and Khloe post their quintessential Indian experience.
Kim Kardashian and Khole Kardashian take auto rickshaw 🛺 in Mumbai #KimKardashian #kholekardashian pic.twitter.com/XnUrvg4uc2
— TraditionsTrove (@TraditionsTrove) July 12, 2024
On the other side of the city John Cena looked like he enjoyed every bit of that Baraati Dance donning a sherwani and his meeting with Shah Rukh Khan. Just a few kilometres away from where all this was happening, I was sitting at home and laughing at their antics.
John Cena dancing in Anant Ambani wedding#AnantRadhikaWedding pic.twitter.com/DfysBQtFz2
— Pandu Raju (@CSKianPaanduRaj) July 12, 2024
It was lovely (if you know, you know) to see Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, Rekha, Jaya Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, Nick Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra all under one roof.
So day one, two and three of the Ambani wedding were mainly for top-tier celebs, head of states, religious leaders, family and business partners. Day four and five were mainly organised for miscellaneous attendees, like TV actors, social media influencers and so on. In factl, Neeta Ji personally to attend the wedding on day 5 – the only time I’ve ever seen a celeb happy to be around paparazzi.
I’ve been lucky enough to attend Ambani dos in the past that were hosted in their multi-billion dollar Mumbai mansion Antilla, so I’m aware of top-notch hospitality and admittedly, it’s hard for anyone to beat it. But this wedding has set a new standard for extravagance.
We missed seeing Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor, Saif-Kareena though in this Ambani wedding! They are all in London at the moment and perhaps why couldn’t make it. But according to what I hear, they need not worry, as another wedding reception is underway in London for Anant and Radhika in a few days. Such joy!
As Mumbai returns to its normal state of controlled chaos, one thing is clear: This was not just a wedding. It was an event that will be talked about for centuries… or at least until the next Ambani decides to get married.
Here’s wishing Anant and Radhika a lifetime of happiness, because after a wedding like that, real life might seem just a tad bit mundane!
Read more: The Wealthiest Indians In The World
