Bollywood actress Ananya Panday has dismissed claims that celebrities were paid to attend the grand wedding festivities of Anant Ambani, son of Indian business magnate Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant.
Anant Ambani, 29, heir to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group, married Radhika Merchant, 29, in July. The highly publicized event followed pre-wedding celebrations in March and June. The wedding attracted a star-studded guest list, including Bollywood’s biggest names, leading cricketers, tech moguls, and global billionaires, sparking rumors that many were compensated to join the festivities.
However, Panday, star of Call Me Bae, refuted these allegations, explaining that she attended the events as a friend of the couple. “They are my friends. I don’t understand why people think like this,” Panday told reporters. “Obviously, I’ll dance wholeheartedly at my friends’ wedding. I love celebrating love.”
Read More: Has Junaid Akram quit YouTube?
Celebration of love, not paychecks
Panday praised the Ambani family for their hospitality throughout the Anant Ambani three-day wedding. “The Ambani family made everyone feel welcome. No matter how many functions there were, they greeted everyone with so much love and warmth,” she said. “It felt very personal.”
Reflecting on the wedding, Panday added, “Whenever Anant and Radhika looked at each other, it was pure love. That’s something I want in life — that connection, no matter the chaos around.”
The wedding, widely considered the “big fat Indian wedding of the year,” garnered significant media attention, but Panday’s comments have shifted the focus back to the heartfelt celebration of love.
