'When It Came to My Youngest Son…' Nita Ambani Shares 'Two Wishes' as Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant’s Pre-Wedding Festivities Kick Off

For Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani, arts and culture are an inalienable part of her life. As Gujarat’s Jamnagar rolls out the red carpet for VVIPs from across the world for the pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, Nita Ambani shared the two wishes she had for her son’s wedding.

In a video, Nita Ambani said: “Throughout my life, I’ve been inspired by arts and culture. It has deeply moved me and I’m very passionate about it.”

She added: “When it came to my youngest son Anant’s wedding with Radhika, I had two important wishes. First, I wanted to celebrate our roots. Jamnagar holds a special place in our hearts and has a profound significance. Gujarat is where we come from. It’s where Mukesh [Ambani] and his father built the refinery and I started my career by converting this arid and desert-like area into a lush green township and a vibrant community. Second, I wanted the celebration to be a tribute to our arts and culture and a reflection of our heritage and culture created by the hands, hearts and hard work of our talented creative minds.”

The video, featuring glimpses of Jamnagar’s artisans and the township, ended with Nita Ambani saying she expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the holy land of India which has ‘sanskriti’ (culture) and ‘parampara’ (tradition) as its pillars.

Anant Ambani, 28, the youngest son of chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited Mukesh Ambani, and his wife Nita Ambani, is set to wed Radhika Merchant, 29, the daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant and his wife Shaila Merchant. While the wedding will be held later this year, a three-day pre-wedding bash is being organised in Gujarat’s Jamnagar city from March 1 to 3.

Among those attending the event are Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Disney CEO Bob Iger, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Adnoc CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, and EL Rothschild chair Lynn Forester de Rothschild, reports say. ⁠Celebrities like Rihanna, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, and several others are already in Jamnagar. Many more VIPs will be coming, especially tycoons from India and people from the worlds of entertainment and sports.

A nine-page event guide and wardrobe planner sent to guests offers an overview of what to expect at the three-day pre-wedding bash.

All three nights of celebrations will be themed. Day 1 is called An Evening in Everland, with the dress code listed as “elegant cocktail”.

Day 2 will host A Walk on the Wildside with “jungle fever” the suggested dress code. It is set to be held outdoors in the Ambanis’ animal rescue centre in Jamnagar, and guests are advised to wear comfortable shoes and clothing for this event.

Invitees will then swap their safari-themed outfits for more elegant ones for Mela Rouge. The dress code for this is “dazzling desi romance”, suggesting glamorous traditional South Asian attires for all.

The final day will also comprise two events. The first one, Tusker Trails, suggests “casual chic” dressing, as guests are expected to further explore the green ambience of Jamnagar. The final party, Hashtakshar, calls for an elegant evening with heritage Indian attire.