The internet’s attention has been firmly focused on Anant Ambani’s lavish pre-wedding gala and its A-lister attendees. Who is Anant Ambani and why did so many celebrities descend on Gujarat for his nuptial festivities?
Rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s biggest names was Kiwi cricketer Trent Boult, whowas spotted at what was seemingly the most celebrity-studded event of the year in India.
The sportsman posted a collection of pictures from the pre-wedding celebration on his Instagram, with the caption: “What a weekend that was! #ambaniwedding 🇮🇳”
While Boult has represented New Zealand on the international circuit, he has also spent some time playing for various Indian teams. He was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders team for the 2017 Indian Premier League for 5 crores. He also played for Delhi Capitals from 2018 to 2019 in the IPL. Mukesh Ambani is the owner of Mumbai Indians franchise in the Indian Premier League and an avid cricket fan.
Boult was accompanied by his wife Gertie, and could be seen posing for pictures with the likes of Indian actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and rapper A$AP Rocky.
Trent Boult with wife Gertie at the pre-wedding celebrations at Jamnagar. Photo / Instagram
Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Nita and Mukesh Ambani, and his wife-to-be Radhika Merchant hosted an array of pre-wedding festivities over the weekend to celebrate their engagement. The couple are set to tie the knot on July 12.
Twelve hundred celebrities, businessmen and notable personalities in the public sphere descended on the city of Jamnagar in Gujarat, where the bash was held.
Microsoft’s Bill Gates, superstar Rihanna, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump were all in attendance at the event, which had a jam-packed itinerary of activities, performances and parties.
Chefs from Indore were hired to serve more than 2500 dishes over four meals for the various themed events, reports The Week.
Trent Boult with A$AP Rocky. Photo / Instagram
The theme of day one was An Evening in Everland, where invitees were asked to don elegant cocktail attire. On day two, the first event’s theme was A Walk on the Wildside, where guests showed off their best jungle fever-themed ensembles. For the second event that day, Mela Rouge was the theme, and guests were asked to wear South Asian attires.
The invitation said that each day’s theme would be catered for with mood boards and an army of hair stylists, makeup artists and Indian-wear designers at their hotel to help guests prepare, according to AP.
Indian singer and songwriter Diljit Dosanjh and Diamonds hitmaker Rihanna performed in a private show for the invitees, which Trump posted on her social media. According to The Standard, Rihanna was paid US$5 million ($8.2 million) to perform at the event.
Anant Ambani is the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in India.
Forbes lists Mukesh Ambani as the richest person in Asia. His Reliance Industries is a massive conglomerate, with US$100 billion ($164 billion) in annual revenue and interests ranging from oil and gas to telecoms and retail.
Anant and his siblings Akash and Isha are all involved in the family business and joined the board in August last year. Now, Anant heads Reliance Industries’ energy businesses.
Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh (left) and Deepika Padukone arrive to attend the pre-wedding celebrations. Photo / AP
Who is Radhika Merchant?
Anant, 28, is set to marry long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant, 29, who is the daughter of Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare Pvt Ltd, and entrepreneur Shaila Merchant.
Radhika has a bachelor’s degree in political science from New York University, where she graduated in 2017. Radhika also serves on Encore Healthcare’s board, alongside her sister, Anjali, according to Forbes.
