Global celebrities land in Jamnagar for Anant-Radhika's pre-wedding bash
All roads will lead to Jamnagar this weekend. Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant, daughter of business tycoon Viren Merchant, have kicked off their pre-wedding festivities in the Gujarati city. And, what's an Ambani event without the world's who's who to partake in the celebrations? From Shah Rukh Khan to Rihanna, several global celebrities have landed in the city. Here's a roundup.
Rihanna is set to perform; Bollywood is in attendance, too
So far, numerous noted celebrities from the film industry have arrived in the city. These include Arjun Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Rani Mukerji, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Salman Khan. International pop sensation Rihanna turned heads upon her arrival on Thursday evening, as did Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his spouse Priscilla Chan. Per India Today, Rihanna is being paid $6M (Rs. 52cr). US magician David Blaine will perform, too.
Cricketers, political figures, other influential guests
Coming to political luminaries, Aaditya Thackeray, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta Fadnavis have reached the Gujarati city. Tech mogul Bill Gates, Disney CEO Bob Iger, business magnate Gautam Adani, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, along with numerous cricketers, are also anticipated to join the festivities. Since the Ambanis own the cricket team Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, we can expect to see some MI players, too.
Invitations have been extended to international dignitaries
Apart from the guests who have already arrived, other distinguished invitees for the pre-wedding bash encompass Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Bhutan's Queen Jetsun Pema, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, and Saudi Aramco chairperson Yasir Al Rumayyan. Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, ex-Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, World Economic Forum chairperson Klaus Schwab, former Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga, and erstwhile Australian PM Kevin Rudd are also expected to be seen in Jamnagar.
Traditional 'anna seva' ceremony marked the beginning of festivities
The pre-nuptial celebrations commenced with a customary anna seva ceremony in Jogwad village near Reliance Township in Jamnagar. Mukesh, the bride and groom, and other family members were seen serving food to as many as 51,000 villagers. The extravagant celebration is transpiring in Jamnagar because the place is close to Ambani's heart and the family was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wed-in-India idea. The pre-festivities will wrap up on Sunday and the wedding will take place on July 12.
Ambanis' events and extravagant celebrations: Tale as old as time
Ambanis have built a repute for throwing the most opulent parties ever, a fact several world celebrities have witnessed. In 2018, when Isha Ambani married Anand Piramal, the celebrations were attended by former First Lady of the US Hillary Clinton, former President of India Pranab Mukherjee, former US Secretary John Kerry, and singer Beyoncé. In 2023, Ambanis achieved the impossible during the NMACC event, which was attended by Tom Holland, Zendaya, Law Roach, and Gigi Hadid, among others.
