World
By Caitlin O'Kane
/ CBS News
Wedding planner on cost of Indian weddings
The son of Asia's richest man is getting married in the culmination of a monthslong, star-studded, multi-event mega wedding this weekend, with the main event kicking off Friday. Anant Ambani, the son of Resilience Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, and longtime girlfriend Radhika Merchant have an epic guest list that includes John Cena, Kim Kardashian, Mark Zuckerberg, Bollywood stars, famous cricket players, politicians and a who's who from around the globe.
The wedding festivities kicked off in March with events attended by Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner and Bill Gates.
Rihanna famously performed at the March party, a three-day event that included 1,200 guests, according to Reuters.The bride and groom also served dinner to 51,000 villagers in Jamnagar.
Another pre-wedding party — a cruise around the Mediterranean — featured performances by Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli and the Backstreet Boys, BBC News reports.
Several other parties were held earlier this month – including a performance by Justin Bieber, according to BBC – but stars began pouring out of the Mumbai Airport this week for the main event. Here are some of the people who walked the red carpet – yes, they have a red carpet for photo ops – and who are expected to attend the nuptials.
Anant, Mukesh and Nita Ambani
The groom, Anant Ambani, with his parents Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani. The elder Ambani is Asia's richest man, with a fortune worth $123.7 billion,according to Forbes.He is the 11th richest person in the world, thanks mostly to his company which invests in petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecom, retail and financial services.
Resilience Industries also includes a successful broadband service called Jio and the Jio World Convention Centre will serve as the venue for the main wedding ceremony on Friday, according to Reuters.
Anant is the couple's youngest son. Their daughter, Isha, got married in 2018 in a $83.8 million wedding, according to GQ India. Her wedding to Anand Piramal, the son of another billionaire, included a performance by Beyonce and is believed to have been the most expensive wedding in India.
Their other son, Isha's twin brother Akash, married Shloka Mehta in 2019 in a wedding that included a performance by Coldplay, GQ India reports.
John Cena
Wrestler and actor John Cena did his signature "you can't see me" hand gesture on the red carpet.
Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra
Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, who won the Miss World pageant in 2000 and has a successful acting career in the U.S., and singer Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers attended the main event, taking photos on the red carpet. The pair had their own wedding in India in 2018.
Kim and Khloe Kardashian
Kim and Khloe Kardashian were filmed arriving in India to much fanfare. The pair also posted selfies on social media and showed off their fashions ahead of the event.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of the Indian state of West Bengal was seen arriving in Mumbai for the wedding earlier this week. She is the first woman to hold the office of chief minister, a role she took on in 2011.
Cricketers Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya
Famous cricket players – including Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya – were invited to the wedding. Cricket is the most popular sport in India and one of the most popular in the world.
Actor Varun Dhawan
Varun Dhawan, one of India's highest-paid actors with a long slate of Hindi movies, arrives at the main event.
Bollywood actress Ananya Panday
Bollywood actress Ananya Panday, the daughter of foreign film actor Chunky Panday, attended the main event. She wore a custom dress with "Anant's Brigade" embroidered on the back to show support for the groom.
Indian film director Atlee Kumar's wife also donned an "Anant's Brigade" dress.
Actor Arjun Kapoor
Arjun Kapoor, an actor who is the son of two film producers and part of a famous Bollywood film family, attended the main event.
Ivanka Trump
Ivanka and her daughter Arabella attended pre-wedding festivities in March. Trump was photographed with her husband, Jared Kushner, at the event.
Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Shaheen Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur
Some of India's most famous actors, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Shaheen Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur, attended pre-wedding festivities earlier this month.
A moment for the details
A custom mural, strings of lights covering the Ambani residence and fun fashions on the red carpet make up some of the lavish details of the event.
Caitlin O'Kane
Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.
