The pre-wedding celebrations are under way for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant.
Ambani, the youngest son of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is hosting a lavish three-day bash in Jamnagar that began on Friday. The 1,200-strong guest list is a who's-who of Bollywood, business leaders, Indian cricketers, politicians and business tycoons.
Pop star Rihanna was at the event on Friday night and sang some of her biggest career hits, while Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh and American illusionist David Blaine are also expected to perform.
Matching the dress code of “elegant cocktail", Rihanna wore a fluorescent green bodycon and glittery custom-made gown by Indian designer Manish Malhotra.
“I’m here tonight in honour of Anant and Radhika, thank you for having me here. God bless your union, I wish you all the best, congratulations,” she said as she took the stage.
Other famous faces spotted include Bollywood stars Vicky Kaushal and wife Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and wife Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and girlfriend Paula Hurd were also in attendance.
On Friday morning, Bollywood fans joined the throngs of paparazzi outside the airport in Jamnagar city to catch a glimpse of stars and VIPs arriving for the event.
Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, who also announced they are expected their first child later in the year, were mobbed as they arrived. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan landed in casually comfortable clothing, while Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan and daughter Suhana were spotted arriving separately in a Range Rover and Rolls-Royce.
Meanwhile, UAE businessman Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar Properties, and his wife Ghamzeh were also seen at the airport as was Ivanka Trump, daughter of former US president Donald Trump, who wore an all-white outfit. All guests were flown on chartered flights into Jamnagar.
The main wedding event will be held in July in Mumbai.
According to a nine-page event guide and wardrobe planner sent to guests and seen by The National, the celebrations will include several themed parties, kicking off with a cocktail party called An Evening in Everland on Friday.
Akash Ambani, Anant's brother, was one of the first to arrive in Jamnagar on Thursday morning. Also spotted were Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor, who were seen being driven away in separate Rolls-Royce cars.
Ranbir Kapoor is rumoured to be performing with his wife, actress Alia Bhatt, at the event.
Malhotra, who's dressing the Ambani family for the occasion, also posted his arrival in Jamnagar on his Instagram Stories.
The Ambanis, who operate one of the world's largest oil refineries in Jamnagar, said they chose the city because it was “the place closest to our hearts”.
“Over the years, we planted more than 10 million trees in this arid region, transforming it into a bustling green community,” they said in their invitation. “Taking the spirit of this initiative further, Anant has lovingly nurtured this complex into a haven of care and compassion for more than a thousand rescued animals.”
On Wednesday, Ambani and Merchant hosted a communal dinner for 51,000 local villagers.
The Ambanis are not known to cut corners for their weddings. Anant's sister Isha Ambani's star-studded 7 billion rupee nuptials in 2018 is still the most expensive Indian wedding of all time and included a performance by Beyonce.
