From the engagement party through to the wedding day, every moment in the latest Ambani nuptials timeline has been star-studded, with surprise guests arriving at each stage to celebrate with the couple.
As the final leg of the 18-month celebrations came around this weekend, notable celebrities and figures from the business world travelled to Mumbai, India, for the three-day event. As the event unfolded, with the main ceremony taking place on Friday, followed by “shubh aashirdwad” (the latter word translating to blessings) on Saturday, and finally the wedding reception on Sunday, attendees took to social media to share the decor at Jio World Centre, stunning fashion highlights as guests donned traditional attire, and even the excitement at meeting other famous faces.
From John Cena and Shah Rukh Khan having fans calling for a duo action movie, to Priyanka Chopra's dancing skills, here are some celebrity moments from Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's big weekend.
John Cena praises actor Shah Rukh Khan
Dressed in a powder blue sherwani paired with white trousers, former WWE star and actor Cena was a surprise arrival at the event on Friday. The next day, the wrestler wore a navy sherwani with black trousers and posed alongside Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
"A surreal 24 hours. So grateful for the Ambani family for their unmatched warmth and hospitality," Cena captioned the picture on X, standing side by side with the Jawan, Chennai Express and Dunki actor.
"An experience filled with so many unforgettable moments which allowed me to connect with countless new friends, including meeting @iamsrk and being able to tell him personally the positive effect he has had on my life."
In response, X user @YaduvanshiBp wrote: "Think about that ~ this duo will make an Action Movie for his fans."
Another, @NishaRo45_, added: "Cena met everyone at Ambani's wedding but he chose to post pic with SRK."
Priyanka Chopra steals the show with her dance moves
Priyanka Chopra, star of films such as Andaaz and The Matrix Resurrections, is known to be closed friend of the groom's sister, Isha Ambani, and was in attendance at her wedding ceremonies that took place between 2018 and 2019.
For Anant's big day, Chopra arrived with husband, singer Nick Jonas, wearing a lehenga choli by Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani, and was captured dancing along throughout the day. Several videos shared online showed Chopra taking part in the baraat (groom's procession) and dancing to Bollywood songs such as Chikni Chameli.
The clip has since gone viral.
Rema performs Calm Down for a sum of $3 million
Celebrity performances have been a central part of the entire extravaganza and for the big day, it was Nigerian singer Rema, real name Divine Ikubor, who took to the stage for the rumoured price tag of $3 million – to perform only one track. Wearing all black, he gave an energetic rendition of his viral hit Calm Down.
X user @FaithZingoni wrote: "Singer Rema was paid $3,000,000 (Yes MILLION) to perform one song at the Ambani/Merchant Wedding! Let’s talk about luxury."
Kim Kardashian drips in emeralds and diamonds
Sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian arrived for the ceremony in Mumbai on Friday kitted out in several outfits by designer Manish Malhotra. The first look of the weekend was a floor-length shimmering red lehenga with a matching cropped tasselled top for Kim, and a more muted hue for Khloe, who wore a beige lehenga choli featuring intricate embroidery.
But the elaborate jewellery worn by Kim grabbed all the attention online. On Friday evening, she wore Lorraine Schwartz emeralds, including a stand-out headpiece, to the ceremony. On Saturday, she wore a beige lehenga adorned with elaborate diamonds again by Schwartz, including an a nath (Indian nose ring). Posing to Instagram stories, she said: "You guys, I just can't even... All these diamonds... she made this for the wedding tonight."
Salman Khan evokes fan nostalgia on the dance floor
Salman Khan, star of Hindi films such as Maine Pyar Kiya, Sultan and Tiger 3, was spotted dancing enthusiastically throughout the day.
Wearing a navy pathani suit, Khan was seen dancing alongside actor Shah Rukh Khan to Bhangra Paale, a hit from their 1995 film Karan Arjun.
Throughout the evening, the actor was also spotted dancing with Anant.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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RESULTS
6pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $40,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alajaj, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
6.35pm: Race of Future – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (Turf) 2,410m
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8.55pm: Singspiel Stakes – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O'Meara
9.30pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Meraas, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
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RESULTS
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Peru 2 Scotland 0
Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
