Everything to Know About Anant Ambani's Indian Wedding Bash

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images

If the golf course seems slightly more empty this weekend, it may be because several of the world’s billionaires will all be attending the same pre-wedding bash in India. Anant Ambani, the son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is marrying Radhika Merchant this summer, and they’re throwing a huge anticipatory celebration over the next couple of days in the Indian city of Jamnagar. This party has everything: a Rihanna performance, a nine-page dress code, Mark Zuckerberg. Here’s everything we know about the biggest matrimonial celebration since Mukesh Ambani’s other kids got married.

Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, is marrying Radhika Merchant. Who are these people? Great question. Mukesh is the ninth-richest person in the world and the richest in Asia, according to Forbes. He’s the chair of Reliance Industries, one of those companies that somehow does business in oil, textiles, telecommunications, and entertainment. Merchant isn’t exactly a commoner either. Her father is Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare and a billionaire in his own right.

As a reminder, these two lovebirds aren’t even marrying until July. This weekend-long bash is just the pre-wedding celebration. So imagine your wedding shower but Mark Zuckerberg is there and the party lasts multiple days. Speaking of Zuck …

Think of a rich guy and he’s going to be at this celebration. According to Forbes, this event is a who’s who of crusty old businessmen and Rihanna. That’s right, Rihanna will be there and she’s performing. The singer is reportedly being paid around $9 million for her appearance and, according to TMZ, she’s not traveling light. The tabloid shared a video allegedly showing the “literal crates of crap” she has brought along. Additionally, David Blaine is set to do some magic. Fun!

When Riri looks out into the audience, she’ll find a sea of fellow billionaires (and some lowly millionaires). In addition to Zuckerberg, the guest list of 1,200 includes Bill Gates, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Disney CEO Bob Iger. Ari Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor and the basis for Ari on Entourage, scored an invite. From the entertainment world, Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan will be in attendance. And what would a bash this monied and spectacular be without a little tension? Apparently, both Ivanka Trump and Hillary Clinton will be there. It’s deeply upsetting to me that we never got a Succession episode set at the pre-wedding party of an Indian billionaire’s son.

Anant is the youngest of Mukesh Ambani’s children and the third to be married. When his sister, Isha, got married in 2018, Beyoncé performed. In 2019, Isha’s twin brother married and he had Coldplay perform at his pre-wedding bash (the Chainsmokers were also there). It seems that if you’re one of the Ambani children, you’re guaranteed a musician who put on a really good Super Bowl halftime show. You can also tack on the Chainsmokers, I guess.

For these guys, I imagine wheeling and dealing is the fun part, but there are activities outside of that. Of course, lavish dinners will be held each night. Reuters reports that across the festivities guests will dine on 500 dishes by 100 chefs. The main attraction, however, is a visit to an animal-rescue center run by Reliance.

“Anant has lovingly nurtured this complex into a haven of care and compassion for thousands of rescued animals,” the invitation reads, per the Times of London. The groom-to-be has a passion for animals, and the rescue center has one of the world’s largest elephant hospitals. Cool! The dress code instructed guests to adhere to a “jungle fever” theme for this particular excursion, which, according to Reuters, means animal-print clothing or Hawaiian shirts. Anant clarified to India Today that the visit is not for “recreation or enjoyment”; rather it is for “educational purposes.”

The theme is “nautical chic.” I’m just playing, but the Times reports that guests received a nine-page dress code for the entire weekend. In addition to the “jungle fever” directive, guests are expected to wear traditional Indian garb to the major events. According to the Times, one evening requires that guests wear “dazzling” Indian outfits, while the final party requests a “Heritage Indian” dress code.

Oh, and if Clinton looks at her sari and realizes it’s wrinkled? She may have to wait a bit to have it steamed. According to Reuters, the invitation reads, “Any clothes given to steam (press) will be returned within 3 hours … expecting or requesting anything quicker than that may not be feasible.” Congratulations to the laundry team for setting a firm boundary.

Related