Begani Shaadi: The Overkill of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s ‘Wedding of the Century’

“Begani Shadi Men Abdulla Diwana” in its simplest translation is going crazy at an unknown person’s wedding. 

While some diehard Ambani fans may debate that India’s richest family is anything but unknown, the months-long hype and hoopla over a plethora of events for a wedding is overkill by any standards. All of us who have spent hours on the Reels vicariously attending the Ambani wedding are the Abdullahs.

Nuptials of the scion of one of the world’s richest men became a global media sensation and even global news channels like CNN and BBC jumped onto the bandwagon of covering this grand and glitzy social event.

Marriages are supposed to be occasions to be celebrated amongst close friends and family. Sentiment more than substance display is to be the linchpin of this sacred occasion of the coming together of two humans, who have decided to tie the knot in sickness and health and in poverty and wealth (pun is intended). Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s nuptials have been everything except a private or intimate function celebrating this sacred bond. 

The multiple events related to the wedding showcased in 24-hour news cycles in myriad media have focused on the display of exclusive and expensive clothes and jewelry worn by the Ambani family members, Bollywood celebrities, sports stars, politicians, and others. Cliched comments and commentaries about the arrangements and generosity of Ambanis by the wedding guests have been overwhelming, to say the least. 

Do you remember learning that moderation in celebration is important? Too much of anything devalues the sentiments associated with it. Happiness is not in outward show or numbers but in close-knit intimate relationships with near and dear ones. I wonder where the principles of simple living and high thinking have been buried.

Maybe I am an outlier and a minority in holding this opinion, but after the tenth reel and the hundredth picture in my feed of an Ambani or a Bollywood star or starlet in another lehenga, sari, or sherwani — I am beyond inundated.

But aside from my ennui of viewing a beeline of celebrities strutting to attend an over-the-top wedding on my social media feeds, I have been thinking about the long-term consequences of such displays of lucre and luxury.

People on the top of the economic echelon set examples for others to emulate. I wonder what sort of example is being set by such a function by Asia’s richest man? 

In my humble opinion, social responsibility has been sanctimoniously sacrificed, if not entirely cast aside on the altar of an extravagant celebration. No eyewashes like organizing mass weddings justify the garishness of the primary function. 

But it’s not all one-sided. In this age of 24-hour news cycles and rampant consumerism, we are given what we consume. Be it an overdose of mindless sex or violence in movies or series on a streaming channel, or one after another display of expensive couture at a super expensive billionaire son’s wedding. 

As consumers, we have an important role to play. Our choices govern what comes next. Let us choose wisely and consciously. Let our choices reflect our values. Intelligently scripted, directed, and acted “Lapatta Ladies” or “Panchayat” are both entertaining and evocative, reiterating the everlasting charm of simplicity and unpretentiousness.

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Shalini Kathuria Narang is a freelance journalist and a software professional. She is also a poet and her poems have been published in several anthologies including “Starry Nights: Poetry of Diaspora in Silicon Valley” and “Pixie Dust and All Things Magical.” She is a monthly contributor to Masticadores USA and has been published by Spillwords Press and San Antonio Press.