Mukesh, Nita Ambani organise Anant Ambani’s fiancée Radhika Merchant’s 'arangetram' at Jio World Centre 

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani hosted the 'arangetram' or 'ascent to the stage' ceremony for their soon-to-be daughter-in-law Radhika Merchant. Radhika Merchant is the fiancée of the younger son of Mukesh and Nita Ambani, Anant Ambani. 

Merchant has been trained in Bharatnatyam for around 8 years by Bhavana Thakar. The event was organised at the Grand Theatre in Jio World Centre, BKC on Sunday in the presence of Ambani and Merchant families, according to a media note by the Reliance Group.  

Merchant will also be the second Ambani to be trained in Bharatnatyam after her mother-in-law Nita Ambani. Radhika’s performance began with offering flowers to invoke deities of stage, god, guru and the audience to seek their blessings and was followed by Ganesh Vandana and traditional Allaripu—prayers for a successful stage performance.  

Invocations comprised traditional ragas and rhythms of aadi tala, followed by bhajan ‘Achyutam Keshavam’, set to raga Ragamalika and telling stories of Shabri’s longing of lord Rama, dance of Lord Krishna with gopis and story of mother Yashoda and baby Krishna.  

She performed the Shiva Panchakshara and portrayed the dance of Lord Nataraj. Merchant followed this up with the performance of the complicated ‘AstaRasa’- eight basic emotions of human beings as per the Natya Shastra. These emotions are shringaar (love), hasya (laughter), karuna (sorrow), bhaya (fear), veera (heroism), raudra (anger), bibhitsa (disgust) and adbhuta (wonder).  

Her performance ended with the tillana—a dancework entailing immaculate footwork, complex hand movements and difficult postures.  

Bollywood celebrities like Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh and Aamir Khan also attended the event. Among others who graced the event were cricketer Zaheer Khan along with wife and actor Sagarika Ghatge.