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Radhika Merchant’s big dance debut! Mukesh and Nita Ambani’s future daughter-in-law dazzled celebrities from Salman Khan to Ranveer Singh in her arangetram, hosted by Anant and family

STORYLynn Farah
Radhika Merchant has made her Indian classical dance debut and, thanks to her soon-to-be-in-laws, it was pretty OTT. Photo: @radhikamerchantfc/Instagram
Radhika Merchant has made her Indian classical dance debut and, thanks to her soon-to-be-in-laws, it was pretty OTT. Photo: @radhikamerchantfc/Instagram
Mukesh Ambani and family

  • The Ambanis apparently spared no expense in making Merchant’s arangetram – classical Indian dance debut – as spectacular as possible at Jio World Centre in Mumbai
  • Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, cricketer Zaheer Khan and local politicians came out in force to support her as she performed bharatanatyam, which her Nita Ambani is trained in too

Billionaire heir to the Ambani empire Anant Ambani and his family hosted a traditional dance ceremony for his fiancée, Radhika Merchant, earlier this month. The ceremony is known as the arangetram – a special moment in a dancer’s life since it marks their public debut, often after many years of formal training.
Anant Ambani steals a look at his dancer fiancée, Radhika Merchant. Photo: @radhikamerchantfc/Instagram
Anant Ambani steals a look at his dancer fiancée, Radhika Merchant. Photo: @radhikamerchantfc/Instagram

The Ambani family showed their support for their future family member, laying on a full programme at one of the most luxurious venues in Mumbai. Here’s everything you need to know about the extravagant night.

Dance extravaganza

Radhika Merchant on stage at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai performing bharatanatyam. Photo: @radhikamerchantfc/Instagram
Radhika Merchant on stage at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai performing bharatanatyam. Photo: @radhikamerchantfc/Instagram
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Merchant is a trained classical dancer, and the arangetram is considered a special social event where dancers reveal their skills after years of hard work. In this case, Merchant performed bharatanatyam, a popular Hindu form of classical dance, according to India TV.

The June 5 ceremony, also known as the “ascent to the stage”, was especially significant for Merchant since it was hosted by her fiancé’s family – aka the ultra-rich Ambani clan.

Radhika Merchant is an accomplished bharatanatyam dancer, just like her mother-in-law-to-be, Nita Ambani. Photo: @radhikamerchantfc/Instagram
Radhika Merchant is an accomplished bharatanatyam dancer, just like her mother-in-law-to-be, Nita Ambani. Photo: @radhikamerchantfc/Instagram
The Free Press Journal reported that Merchant has been training with her guru Bhavana Thakar for more than eight years. Nita Ambani, Anant’s mother, is also a trained bharatanatyam dancer, so the two women are closely linked in the dance realm. According to the publication, Merchant’s performance started with the traditional pushpanjali, a salutation to the deities of the stage.

The luxury venue

The Ambanis’ spectacular Jio World Centre was the setting for Radhika Merchant’s arangetram ceremony. Photo: @dhirubhai_ambani_square/Instagram
The Ambanis’ spectacular Jio World Centre was the setting for Radhika Merchant’s arangetram ceremony. Photo: @dhirubhai_ambani_square/Instagram

The Ambani family hosted the lavish arangetram ceremony at Mumbai’s Jio World Centre. Social media posts of the event went viral as snippets of the Ambani family gathering in Mumbai were released throughout the evening.

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