India's richest man has kicked off lavish pre-wedding parties for his son by feeding more than 50,000 people in his hometown, with celebrations in the coming days expected to include some of the world's most influential figures.
Global tech CEOs, industry titans, Bollywood stars, pop icons, and politicians are among the 1,200 guests expected to jet in Friday for the main three-day celebrations hosted by billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani, who is building a sprawling Hindu temple complex for the event. The wedding will take place on July 12.
Ambani, 66, chairman of oil-to-telecoms giant Reliance Industries, is Asia's richest person according to the Forbes real-time billionaires list, worth more than $114 billion.
On Wednesday evening, Ambani and wife Nita - along with their son Anant and his fiancee Radhika Merchant - launched a three-day feast for villagers at the Reliance Township in his hometown of Jamnagar, in Gujarat state.
Anant, 28, who also serves as a director on the boards of several Reliance-owned firms, is expected to marry Merchant, 29, the daughter of an industrialist, later this year. He is one of Ambani's three children who are the heirs to his empire.
Ambani held the most expensive wedding in India for his daughter in 2018, which reportedly cost $100 million and saw US pop megastar Beyonce perform.
This time, R&B star Rihanna, illusionist David Blaine and Bollywood's Diljit Dosanjh will perform for the guests, who are expected to include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Meta head Mark Zuckerberg, and several current and former political leaders, according to a list released by Reliance.
Also among the invitees is Disney chief Robert Iger, following a deal agreed Wednesday between Reliance Industries and Walt Disney to merge their Indian media businesses.
The merger will create a $8.5 billion entertainment giant in the world's most populous nation and fifth-largest economy.
Other guests invited include Ivanka Trump, the former US president's daughter, as well as ex-Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt, former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper and the King of Bhutan.
Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan, cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and M.S. Dhoni, and industry titan Gautam Adani are also invited in a who's-who of India's super-rich elite.
The Ambanis are building a Hindu temple complex in Jamnagar, to keep "India's rich cultural and spiritual identity at the heart of the wedding festivities", the Reliance Foundation said on social media.
The main celebrations, running from March 1-3, will have different themes, events and dress codes.
Guests are set to savour 500 dishes created by around 100 chefs.
They will visit a rescue centre that Reliance says is home to more than 2,000 animals and has one of the world's largest elephant hospitals. The dress code is "jungle fever" with guests advised to wear animal print clothing or Hawaiian shirts.
Return charter jet flights from New Delhi and Mumbai are on offer, but guests have been asked to limit themselves to only two luggage items or three suitcases per couple. (Agencies)
Dharavi slum in Mumbai
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)