India’s richest man is bringing Rihanna and 1,200 guests to a pre-wedding bash for his son

NEW DELHI (AP) — It could be the biggest party this small west Indian city has ever seen. As billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani prepares for the wedding of his son this summer, he’s expecting billionaires from around the world, heads of state, and Hollywood and Bollywood royalty to attend a three-day bash in the family’s hometown, starting Friday.

The nearly 1,200-person guest list includes Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sunder Pichai and Ivanka Trump; Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Kumar Mangalam Birla; legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar; and Bollywood celebrities such as Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Salman Khan, Arijit Singh and Diljeet Dosanjh.

They’ll be entertained by pop superstar Rihanna, magician David Blaine and famous Bollywood singers.

The party is in Jamnagar, a city of around 600,000 in a near-desert part of Gujarat state. It’s the family’s hometown, and the home of the main oil refinery of their business empire, Reliance Industries. There will also be traditional ceremonies in a temple complex.

On Wednesday, the Ambani family sought organized a community food service for 51,000 people living in nearby villages.

Anant Ambani, 28, is set to marry his long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant, in July. Merchant is the daughter of Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., and entrepreneur Shaila Merchant.

The three-day pre-wedding bash starting Friday will provide a glimpse of the wedding itself, which is expected in July.

Guests will don jungle-themed outfits to visit an animal rescue center run by Anant Ambani. Known as “Vantara,” meaning “Star Of The Forest,” the 3,000 acre (1,200 hectare) center houses abused, injured and endangered animals, especially elephants.

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