Ambanis take big fat Indian wedding to ‘next level’: Here's what else Western press said about the Jamnagar bash
Celebrities like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, singer Rihanna and Microsoft founder Bill Gates are among the guests at the pre-wedding gala in Jamnagar.
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s glam pre-wedding festivities are taking place in Jamnagar. The bash started on March 1 and the celebrations will continue till March 3 with guests attending from India and across the world. Here's how the grand event has captured the attention of the international press. (Also read: Rihanna comes out of semi-retirement for Anant Ambani's Jamnagar bash; here’s how the Western press reacted)
A next level Indian wedding and it is just the beginning
Time said that Mukesh Ambani has taken the concept of the big fat Indian wedding to the ‘next level' and further pointed, “While the wedding itself won’t take place until July, a three-day pre-wedding bash kicks off on Friday, Mar. 1 in the family’s refinery township of Jamnagar in the Indian state of Gujarat. Some of the biggest players from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and the entertainment industry are on the guest list.”
Guest list is part of the pageantry
Meanwhile, The New York Times noted that the three-day event ‘raises the bar for extravagant festivity’ and said, “The guest list is part of the pageantry. Guests are not just (or not even) friends, but attractions in their own right. Apart from enjoying the spectacle, many will appreciate the chance to sidle up to India’s most influential business family at the bar. For instance, Nita Ambani, Mukesh Ambani’s wife, is reportedly poised to become board chairwoman of the company created by a recent merger of Reliance with Walt Disney’s Indian media assets.”
BBC wrote that some of the world's ‘most influential people’ have arrived in India's Gujarat state to attend a wedding party. They wrote, “Anant Ambani is the youngest of his [Mukesh Ambani] three children, all of whom are on the board of Reliance Industries. The 28-year-old is involved in Reliance's energy businesses and is on the board of Reliance Foundation. The extravagant pre-wedding event is in keeping with the Ambani family's record of hosting lavish wedding parties.”
3-day extravaganza
USA Today said that if there is one thing that one should know about India's Ambanis, it is that ‘they like to go all out.’ They wrote, “Guests will also be treated to 500 dishes created by around 100 chefs so that they don't have to eat the same dish twice, hair stylists and makeup artists and return charter jet flights from the capital, New Delhi and the coastal city of Mumbai. For the flights, guests have been asked to 'limit themselves to only two luggage items or three suitcases per couple'.”
South China Morning Post pointed out how ‘Asia’s richest family isn’t afraid to splurge when it comes to wedding celebrations.’ Their report read, “But if you thought Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal’s US$100 million nuptials or Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta’s equally extravagant bash were over the top, then think again – because Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s big day is expected to take things to a whole new level.”
On the other hand, Tatler said, “The Times are claiming that Anant’s wedding will be more ‘laid back’ than his sister’s. But nothing about this festival of marriage really says ‘laid back’ to us. And that’s just the pre-wedding!”