Charter jets for tycoons and celebrities, an appearance by Rihanna and instructions to don “jungle fever” outfits when visiting an animal rescue center – this is how billionaire Mukesh Ambani is starting the big fat Indian wedding celebrations for his son.
Ambani is the head of the Indian conglomerate Reliance and, according to Forbes, the richest man in Asia with a net worth of $114 billion. He is known for never having half a party.
The occasion of the moment captivating India is a three-day pre-wedding celebration for his youngest son Anant Ambani, 28, who is set to marry his long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant, 29. It begins on Friday and will entertain 1,200 guests and takes place in a township in Jamnagar, near Reliance's main oil refinery in the western state of Gujarat.
The wedding itself won't take place until July and the celebrations effectively began on Wednesday when Anant and his bride-to-be hosted a dinner for the villagers, attended by 51,000 people.
In addition to pop and R&B superstar Rihanna, US magician David Blaine will also perform and there will also be traditional ceremonies in a temple complex.
According to two sources, Anant's pre-wedding party is likely to be attended by Bill Gates, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, fellow Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Kumar Mangalam Birla, as well as many cricketers and Bollywood film stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan with direct knowledge of the plans refused to be identified.
Also expected to be present is Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, which on Wednesday announced an $8.5 billion merger of its Indian media assets with Reliance's.
Anant is the director of Reliance's new energy business and one of Ambani's three children who are the heirs to his empire. Merchant is a director at Encore Healthcare in India.
Ambani also made headlines with his daughter Isha's wedding in 2018, which some described as a mini-Davos summit. Former US Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry were among those who danced on the dance floor with Bollywood stars.
Guests at Anant Ambani's celebrations will enjoy 500 dishes created by around 100 chefs.
They'll be pampered – hairstylers, makeup artists and Indian clothing drapers will be available, but only on a first-come, first-served basis, according to a planning document provided to invitees and seen by Portal was viewed.
You'll visit a rescue center that, according to Reliance, houses more than 2,000 animals and has one of the largest elephant hospitals in the world. The dress code is “Jungle Fever.” Guests are encouraged to wear animal print clothing or Hawaiian shirts.
Round-trip flights are available on charter jets from New Delhi and Mumbai, but guests have been asked to limit themselves to just two pieces of luggage or three suitcases per couple. The document warns: “If you bring more,” there is no guarantee they will arrive on the same flight.
Guests were also asked to have reasonable expectations for laundry services.
“Any clothing given to Steam (Press) will be returned within 3 hours. It may not be possible to expect or request anything faster,” it said.
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