The Ambani family before the billions: Mukesh, Nita, Isha, Akash and Anant weren’t always about Hermès handbags, Mumbai mansions and celebrity personal trainers, these old photos show

Everything about the Ambani family screams ‘rich’. From the extravagant luxury housing complex in Mumbai to the flashy cars and private yachts, there’s not much in their lives that isn’t either exclusive or designer. But before the family reached billion-dollar status, Mukesh, Nita, Akash, Isha and Anant were just like any other family. Sure, they had some fame attached to their name, but it was nothing compared to the Ambani craze gripping the nation today.

In an interview with iDiva, Nita said she grew up in a middle-class family and wanted to teach her children the value of money. Growing up, despite their father’s enormous wealth, Akash, Isha and Anant were given limited pocket money and were made to take public transport at times. In this widely shared picture on Ambani fan pages, Nita and Mukesh’s brood look just like any other young family.

Anant’s incredible weight transformation played out in the public eye when he lost more than 100kg in 18 months. His trainer Vinod Channa told India Today that Mukesh’s youngest son stuck to a no-sugar diet and a strict exercise regimen. Mum Nita joined her son in his efforts and also lost more than 40kg. In these images of the Ambani siblings as teenagers, Anant’s battles with his weight are already visible. Even Akash appears heavier than he is now.