Disruptive Ambani-Merchant Pre-Wedding Cruise along Riviera Leaves Locals Fuming
Residents and businesses are up in arms at the invading big fat Indian pre-wedding party.
It’s usually a typhoon that brings coastal areas to a grinding halt. But in the case of the Italian-French Riviera… a tycoon who seems to be the culprit. Yes, it's another kind of disturbance that has sent the popular tourist region out of whack. This is the monstrous luxury cruise liner carrying the soon-to-be-wed Anant Ambani and his fiancé Radhika Merchant with around 800 guests in tow.
This, the Ambanis’ second pre-wedding party, has spared no expense for the 4-day cruise across Mediterranean seaside towns. But now the residents and tourists are paying the price for the extravagance. The grand vessel which set sail from Palermo, Siciliy went on to dock at Rome, Portofino, Genoa and Cannes - marking the arrival at each destination with lavish parties and flamboyant activities. So much so, that the two towns near the Franco-Italian border virtually shut down for the unfolding of the celebrations.
Indeed, businessmen based in the area weren’t given passage to reach their establishments while tourists were disallowed from visiting the bay area. To add insult to injury, there were several reports of the Ambanis’ guests resorting to bad behaviour and offensive language. Such an attitude doesn’t seem becoming of the educated and wealthy upper crust of Indian society.
Nevertheless, these include the likes of Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, M.S. Dhoni, Janhvi Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Sara Ali Khan, just to name a few. The media and several respondents corroborated the unsavoury claims made against them. This is not very good for the Ambanis’ public relations, especially for a family that is preoccupied with projecting the right image.
But the Ambanis’ cavalcade was not altogether bad for local business. According to a report by The Times, eateries in the concerned cities took in upto 10,000 Euros (nearly Rs. 10 Lakh) to feed the boat-load of people. On the menu were some (strictly vegetarian) delectables like beetroot goat cheese kabab, focaccia and paneer tikka… among several other irresistible appetisers and courses. It looks like groom-to-be Anant’s weight-loss ambitions are going south along with the returning cruiser.
