VIPs arrive at pre-wedding bash for daughter of India’s richest man

This article is more than 12 months old

Dec 10, 2018 06:00 am

NEW DELHI Dozens of chartered planes carrying celebrities, including former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, flew into a sleepy airport in western India for the lavish pre-wedding festivities for the daughter of India's richest man.

Ms Isha Ambani, 27, daughter of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, will marry Mr Anand Piramal, 33, in the financial capital of Mumbai this Wednesday, but the celebrations began this weekend in the desert city of Udaipur, with feasts, singing and dancing, and other pre-wedding rituals.

Security was beefed up as the high-profile guests started arriving at Udaipur's airport, said a source at the scene, who asked not to be identified. Outside, they were awaited by luxury sedans driven by chauffeurs wearing white uniforms and colourful Rajasthani turbans.

The Clintons and the Ambanis have an association that goes back more than 18 years and have met several times both in India and abroad, according to Indian media reports.

Many other top industrialists, politicians, sports and Bollywood stars descended in Udaipur on Saturday to join what has been dubbed locally "the big, fat Indian wedding". Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and newly-weds actress Priyanka Chopra and singer Nick Jonas were among the guests joining the bash.

Others included Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch and Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih. Guests for the celebrations, which will bring together two of India's most influential families, have access to an app mapping out the activities, which include a private concert by Beyonce. - REUTERS