Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair have arrived in Mumbai for the wedding of Anant Ambani, son of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant, daughter of pharma tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant.
The four-day wedding extravaganza, which concludes a series of lavish parties since March, has caused significant disruption in Mumbai. Key roads are sealed off daily until the festivities end on Monday.
The wedding has featured performances by popstars such as Rihanna and Justin Bieber, though it has also sparked backlash from city residents due to traffic snarls and the ostentatious display of wealth.
Anant Ambani, involved in Reliance’s energy businesses, is the youngest of Mukesh Ambani’s three children. The couple will wed in a traditional Hindu ceremony at the Jio World Convention Centre, followed by a grand reception through the weekend and a final reception for household staff on Monday.
Mumbai police have labelled the wedding a “public event” due to the attendance of several international and Indian VIPs, imposing traffic restrictions around the venue. The Ambani family has rented three Falcon-2000 jets to transport wedding guests, making multiple trips across the country.
The wedding festivities began in March with a three-day pre-wedding party in Gujarat, attended by celebrities and business leaders including Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. Subsequent celebrations included a luxury cruise from Italy to France with performances by the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Pitbull, and a recent performance by Justin Bieber in Mumbai.
In addition to the opulent events, the Ambani family has also hosted a community feast for underprivileged people and a mass wedding for 50 underprivileged couples. Wedding planners estimate the cost of the wedding to be between 11 billion and 13 billion rupees ($132 million-$156 million).
