Unless you’ve been living in a remote cave or under a particularly large rock, it would have been impossible for you to escape the news that Anant Ambani is getting married to Radhika Merchant.
The couple is set to tie the knot in July of this year but their pre-wedding festivities have been kicked off in Jamnagar, Gujarat, with international bigwigs like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates flying down to the small town to celebrate with their fellow billionaires and watch Rihanna on stage because, of course, they have the multihyphenate coming out of quasi-retirement to perform for them.
It’s no secret that the Ambanis and their extravagant wedding ceremonies (some of which have Bollywood celebrities turn into backup dancers) have the whole country in a chokehold. After their daughter Isha Ambani and their son Akash Ambani’s much-talked about wedding ceremonies, it’s now time for their youngest offspring, Anant Ambani, to have his own Big Fat Indian Wedding ™ with childhood sweetheart Radhika Merchant.
While the couple did not confirm their relationship till their roka ceremony in 2022, Anant and Radhika grew up together and were in the same social circles long before their engagement, as Radhika is the daughter of billionaire businessman Viren Merchant and his wife Shaila Merchant.
As we wait for more details to emerge about their much-awaited nuptials, here’s a complete timeline of their relationship…
The Complete Timeline Of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s Relationship
The statement released by the Ambanis after the roka ceremony revealed that the two have known each other for years before they finally got into a relationship. Both Anant and Radhika ran in the same social circles and were, reportedly, childhood friends.
In early 2018, speculations about the two began doing the rounds as a picture of the couple in matching olive robes emerged online. However, they didn’t address the rumours.
The rumours about their relationship were fuelled further when Radhika joined the Ambanis for Isha Ambani’s engagement ceremony in Lake Como, Italy. While her presence there as a friend of the family was not unusual, photos of her with Anant made eagle-eyed observers believe that there might be something brewing between the two.
Later in 2018, Radhika was featured prominently in all of Isha Ambani’s wedding ceremonies, including being a part of the foursome who walked with the bride during her phoolon ki chadar (canopy of flowers) ceremony.
In 2019, the couple were spotted together again during the festivities for Anant’s brother Akash Ambani’s wedding.
In December 2021, Radhika was seen hanging out with the Ambani clan in Jamnagar for Akash and Shloka Ambani’s son Prithvi’s first birthday celebrations.
In June 2022, the Ambanis all but confirmed the upcoming nuptials of their youngest when they hosted Radhika’s Arangetram ceremony. As a trained Bharatnatyam dancer, this was essentially Radhika’s graduation ceremony as the ceremony signifies a dancer’s ascend onto the stage for the first time. It was held at Jio World Centre in Mumbai and had many Bollywood celebrities in attendance, along with the family.
In December 2022, it was officially announced that Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant were to wed soon. The families held a formal roka ceremony at Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan.
In January 2023, the couple had a grand engagement ceremony in Mumbai which officially symbolised Radhika’s welcome into the Ambani household.
After many subsequent appearances together, or with other family members, Anant and Radhika appeared together at the red carpet for the opening ceremony of the Neeta Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center.
In January 2024, the couple kicked off their pre-wedding festivities with a lagan lakhvanu ceremony in Jamnagar.
And we’re here now in March of 2024 when the couple will celebrate with the top names across different categories, from business to entertainment.
Here’s wishing the couple a lifetime of happiness!
