Son of Asia's richest man weds in lavish ceremony drawing A-listers
After seven months of extravagant pre-wedding celebrations, Anant Ambani, the son of Asia's richest man, completed his long-awaited marriage to pharmaceutical heiress Radhika Merchant before thousands of guests.
Nick Jonas, Priyanka Chopra, Kim and Khloé Kardashian and former British prime ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson were just some of the famous faces who flew in to Mumbai to attend the star-studded event. The wedding also attracted many of the biggest names in Indian entertainment, sport, business and politics.
No expense was spared by the Ambanis, the family behind India's largest private corporation, Reliance Industries. Founded by Anant's grandfather, the conglomerate is now run by his father Mukesh, pictured centre, who is worth over $US122 billion ($180 billion), according to Forbes.
In a rain-soaked Mumbai, police closed roads in the area surrounding the Ambani-owned, 16,000-capacity Jio World Convention Centre ahead of a red-carpet-style arrival event. Attendees dressed the part, streaming past photographers in custom sarees, lehengas and kurtas.
International guests also honored the traditional dress code, with many seen wearing designs by major Indian fashion designers.
John Cena walked the red carpet in an embroidered sky blue sherwani and white pants
American singer and songwriter Nick Jonas sparkled in a baby pink version — made from a bouclé-style woven fabric embedded with sequins — and matching satin trousers.
Jonas arrived with his wife and actor, Priyanka Chopra, who opted for an intricately embellished sunshine yellow lehengai.
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie were among the politicians to attend the wedding ceremonies.
The Ambanis' pre-wedding party in Jamnagar was attended by global personalities including Mark Zuckerberg, Ivanka Trump, Bill Gates and Karlie Kloss.
For the wedding reception, guests interpreted the "Indian chic" dress code by mixing classic Indian fashion with contemporary styles.
Designers said the wedding was an ideal opportunity to showcase the country's fashion industry to the world.
Details of the celebrations dominated local news headlines and buzzed on social media, but many in India - the world's most populous nation with 1.4 billion people - criticised the opulence on display in a country with a glaring wealth gap and where millions live in poverty.
"It's shameful that people are celebrating income inequality in a country where we need wealth redistribution," tweeted comedian and social media critic Shamita Yadav, who goes by the name The Ranting Gola.
For three months, Indian mogul Mukesh Ambani who is the richest man in Asia has been throwing lavish pre-wedding celebrations for his on who is expected to tie the knot this week.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Limited is the world's ninth richest man with a net worth of $US116 billion ($172 billion), according to Forbes.
The groom Anant Ambani has a bachelor's degree from the presigious Brown University in the United States, according to Reliance Industries' website, and oversees the conglomerate's renewable and green energy expansion.
The bride, Radhika Merchant, 29, is the daughter of pharmaceutical tycoon Viren Merchant and is the marketing director for his company, Encore Healthcare, according to Vogue.
The Ambani family owns, among other assets, a 27-storey private apartment building, named Antila, worth $US1 billion in Mumbai. It has three helipads, a 160-car garage, a private movie theater, a swimming pool, and a fitness centre.
But Ambani's critics say his company has flourished mainly because of political connections during the Congress governments in the 1970s and 1980s and subsequently under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule after 2014. They say "crony capitalism" in India has helped certain corporations, such as Ambani's, thrive.
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