Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra has shared images and details of his creations on the second of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's three-day pre-wedding celebration.
Malhotra designed the family outfits and the venue itself in a Mela Rouge theme, using a mishmash of regal Indian and French influences. That was the second party of the day at the lavish event in Jamnagar, a township in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
While Rihanna performed on the first night on Friday, guests on the second day, including Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, were first treated to a jungle-themed A Walk on the Wildside party. Guests then swapped their outfits for more elegant wear in the evening for Mela Rouge and watched top Bollywood stars take to the stage for more celebrations.
Red was the colour of choice for groom-to-be Anant, who looked regal in a sherwani intricately embroidered with jungle motifs and Swarovski crystals. Anant finished his look with a cheetah brooch, a nod to his recently-launched 1,200-hectacre animal centre project in Jamnagar.
Anant's sister, Isha Ambani, also wore red in a lehenga-inspired gown, which she paired with a giant emerald necklace as well as matching bracelet and earrings, finishing her look with a red fur jacket.
Bride-to-be Merchant wore a lehenga featuring a metal mesh drape embellished with more than 20,000 Swarovski crystals. The dress was made by more than 70 artisans, Malhotra said.
Anant's mother, Nita, chose a more traditional look for the night, wearing a Kanchipuram sari, renowned the world over for its fine silk weaves. Malhotra and his team then added traditional zardosi, or elaborate embroidery, to the border of the sari, giving it a regal look.
Nita finished her look with a massive emerald necklace with diamond details. “Woven with blessings and love, this sari embodies the spirit of the occasion and Mrs Ambani's deep respect for Indian craftsmanship,” Malhotra said.
Shloka Mehta, Anant's sister-in-law, also dazzled in a lehenga with patterns made in a “cage cut-out” style that took 8,000 hours to make.
Malhotra also shared pictures of the venue he designed, which included a replica of the famous windmill atop the Moulin Rouge cabaret in Paris.
Other stars also wore Malhotra on the night, including Kareena Kapoor Khan, who attended the party in a glittering red sari, accompanied by her husband, actor Saif Ali Khan, and son Taimur.
Bollywood took over the second night of the celebrations, and included a rare reunion on stage of the Khans – Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan – who once ruled Bollywood.
The Khans were later joined on stage by South Indian superstar Ram Charan to perform Naatu Naatu, the 2023 Oscar-winning song from the Telegu-language film RRR. Husband and wife duo Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone also performed, along with Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh.
Malhotra also took to the stage to perform Bole Chudiyan, a song from the hit 2001 film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, for which he designed the costumes. He was joined by young Bollywood stars Janhvi Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Panday and Khushi Kapoor.
