Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant have a paw-fect ring-bearer; VIDEOS from engagement, Gol Dhana ceremony go VIRAL

Yesterday, Reliance Industries Limited Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani’s youngest son Anant Ambani got engaged to Radhika Merchant, daughter of Viren Merchant and Shaila Merchant. They got engaged in a traditional ceremony at the Ambani residence, Antilia, in Mumbai. We saw the who’s who of Bollywood including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar and many others arrive at Antilia to attend the celebration last night. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s engagement was a grand event, and had Gujarati rituals such as Gol Dhana and Chunari Vidhi.

While fans got glimpses of Antilia from outside, thanks to paparazzi pictures, we are sure fans are eagerly waiting to see visuals of the engagement and the festivities. Videos from Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s engagement ceremony are going viral on social media, and they give a sneak-peek of the celebrations!

The surprise ring-bearer at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s engagement

A video that has surfaced on the Internet shows Anant’s sister Isha Ambani hosting the celebrations. The video is from the ring exchange ceremony, and Isha, who is on the stage with Anant and Radhika, can be seen saying, “It seems like we have a missing ring, but I think we have a surprise ring bearer. Can we please have our ring bearer come up?” And guess who the surprise ring bearer is? Well, it’s the family’s pet dog! The video shows the ‘ring bearer’, their pet dog dressed up in a beautiful costume, running down the grand staircase, and making way to the stage. Anant and Radhika are visibly overjoyed and surprised to see their pet dog, and the moment is just too adorable!

The video then switches to Nita Ambani, Mukesh Ambani and other family members’ dance performances. The Ambani family surprised the lovely couple with a dance performance, led by Nita Ambani. The couple’s close friends and family were present for the ring exchange and other rituals, and they can be seen holding heart-shaped cardboard in front of the couple. The decoration was incredibly stunning, with a number of chandeliers, and the staircase lit up! For the occasion, Radhika Merchant wore a gold embellished lehenga, while Anant Ambani is seen in a dark blue traditional kurta. Check out the video below!

Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s Gol Dhana ceremony

Ceremonies such as the Gol Dhana and the Chunari Vadh were held prior to the ring exchange. For the unversed, the Gol Dhana is a pre-wedding function during which jaggery and coriander seeds are exchanged as a symbolic gesture. The evening commenced with the Ambani family visiting Radhika’s family home to formally invite them. The families then sought the blessings of Lord Krishna. The festivities began with an auspicious Ganesh Puja.

The video shows Anant Ambani, Radhika Merchant, Nita Ambani, Mukesh Ambani, Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani, Shloka Mehta, Isha Ambani, Anand Piramal posing together for a few pictures at Antilia. Radhika is also seen holding one of Isha Ambani’s twins- Aadiya and Krishna. Later, she got a warm welcome from Nita Ambani, who is seen performing aarti, in the video. Check it out below!

Bollywood celebrities at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s engagement bash

Meanwhile, celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Katrina Kaif, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Varun Dhawan, and others joined the celebrations last night. SRK arrived with his wife, Gauri Khan, and son Aryan Khan, while Salman attended the celebration with his niece Alizeh Khan Agnihotri.

About Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant

Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant have known each other for several years. Anant Ambani completed his studies from Brown University in the USA and has since served at Reliance industries in various capacities.  In August last year, he was named the head of RIL’s energy business. 

Meanwhile, Radhika is the daughter of Encore Healthcare CEO Viren Merchant and Shaila Merchant. She has an elder sister, Anjali Merchant. Radhika has a bachelor’s degree in politics and economics from New York University. She serves as a Director on the Board of Encore Healthcare.