$100-mln-dollar wedding bash for Asia’s richest man’s daughter

What's common between former U.S. first lady Hillary Clinton, American pop sensation Beyonce and India's former President Pranab Mukherjee? Nothing really one would argue, except there is! They were all part of the VIP guest list of the world's biggest wedding party.

India may still be a developing nation but the country just witnessed the world's grandest marriage ceremony ever.

The stupendous 100-million-U.S.-dollar wedding bash was thrown by Asia's richest man and India's oil-and-telecom tycoon Mukesh Ambani for his 27-year-old daughter Isha Ambani. The cost is like a drop in the ocean for Ambani whose net worth is 43.7 billion U.S. dollars.

Isha Ambani (C) walking down the aisle with her brothers in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. /Courtesy of Reliance Industries Ltd. via Twitter

According to some local media reports, the bride wore a gold and diamond wedding dress worth 12 million U.S. dollars. /Courtesy of Reliance Industries Ltd. via Twitter

Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani (1st L), his wife Nita Ambani (2nd L), and businessman Ajay Piramal (1st R) and wife Swati Piramal (2nd R) with bride Isha Ambani (3rd L) and groom Anand Piramal (3rd R) during their wedding reception in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, December 14, 2018. /VCG Photo

The event has become the most expensive wedding in the world after the marriage ceremony of Lady Diana with Prince Charles in 1981. According to an estimate, if the increase in the value of the currency is taken into account, around 110 million U.S. dollars were spent at the royal wedding 37 years ago. In May, the wedding of Prince Harry and Hollywood actress Meghan Markle cost over 40 million U.S. dollars.

Prince Charles and Lady Diana on the balcony of the Buckingham Palace on their wedding day in 1981 (L), Meghan Markle and Prince Harry leaving St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after their wedding (R), May 19, 2018./ VCG Photos

The Big Fat Indian Wedding

It was an extravagant five-day celebration of the coming together of India's two wealthiest families. Yale graduate Ms. Ambani got married to her childhood friend, Anand Parimal, also the scion of one of India's most prominent business families with a net worth of 4.2 billion U.S. dollars.

The wedding took place on December 12 at their 27-storey Mumbai residence, Antilla, also one of the world's most expensive private residences, second only to the Buckingham Palace.

Reports also suggest that the Piramals have gifted their daughter-in-law and son a five-storey sea-facing mansion worth 62 million U.S. dollars in Mumbai's posh Worli area.

Mukesh Ambani's private residence, Antilla, turned into a garden of blooms for his daughter Isha Ambani's wedding, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, December 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

The grand festivities began with a two-day pre-wedding carnival at a 16th-century palace-turned-hotel in Udaipur, also known as the city of lakes, in India's northwestern state of Rajasthan. The city is no stranger to "big-fat" weddings but this time it was bigger than ever.

View of the Oberoi Udaivilas, the venue for Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal's pre-wedding celebrations. /Image posted by ambani.isha on Instagram

Forty chartered planes and over a thousand luxury cars were made available to the guests who arrived from across the globe.

The VIP guest list included names like Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas and Bollywood superstars like Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Aishwarya Rai.

Former U.S. first lady and secretary of state Hillary Clinton (C) with Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani (R) and his wife Nita Ambani (L), Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, December 8, 2018. /courtesy of Reliance Industries Ltd. via Twitter

The stage under the starry night was set on fire by performances by top celebrities from the tinsel town and the Ambanis themselves.

American pop-star Beyonce posted pictures of her performance on her Instagram page.

But this was just the beginning, the billionaire dad also arranged American pop-star Beyonce for a 45-minute private concert. If reports are to be believed, the singing sensation pocketed around three million U.S. dollars for performing popular songs like Crazy in Love, Naughty Girl and Perfect, among others.

After Udaipur, it was time for Mumbai to witness the grand spectacle of wealth and revelry.

The invitation card for the wedding reportedly cost over 4,000 U.S. dollars each. The attendees included top Bollywood celebrities, high-profile politicians, businessmen, and journalists.

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao arrive to attend Isha Ambani's wedding, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, December 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

Veteran Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan arrives to attend Isha Ambani's wedding in Mumbai, Maharashtra, December 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

India's Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh (C) and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (2nd R) arrive to attend Isha's Ambani's wedding in Mumbai, Maharashtra, December 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

But soon several videos showing India's biggest superstars like Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan serving food to the guests at the wedding left the social media users amused.

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan is seen serving food to the guests from the groom's side at the wedding.

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan is seen serving food to the guests from the groom's side.

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, son of Amitabh Bachchan defended his father on Twitter, claiming they were just following an old Indian tradition of being a good host.

The larger-than-life celebrations have also been criticized by many in the country where 65 million people still live under extreme poverty.

According to a Paris-based World Inequality Lab, the richest 10 percent of India's population controlled 63 percent of its wealth in 2012.

Mukesh Ambani serves food to 5,100 poor people before her daughter's wedding in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. /Courtesy of Reliance Industries Ltd. via Twitter.

Some call it a wasteful expenditure by crazy rich Asians but many believe it's just capitalism at work.

Can a one-man's show of wealth be linked to the misery of millions? And should the richie-rich avoid a luxurious public spectacle of a personal family affair? The wedding is over but the debate rages on.

Also Read: The most expensive house in the world (Owned by Asia's richest man)

Source: news.cgtn