The Divorce Planner

Kudos. A view non
non-pareil.

 

Dear Balajee,

Ambani family deserves your condemnation through your sarcastic suggestion for divorce celebrations! But the girl who married into the family doesn't deserve such a reprimand. However, I honestly believe that it would be a prison for her until she stays married and their family runs like the Queen's family in London with so many restrictions. Ambani set bad precedence when he built $2 billion (400,000 sq. ft.) house in Altamount Road and he continues to showcase his wealth in a shameful fashion.

They have built a temple inside their home only for the family to pray but how good is a temple if no one practices love for the poor and needy and obey the teachings in the scriptures? I heard that they fed everyone in their hometown once before the wedding. At least they had a heart to do that. Sacrifice, Character, and Control of senses are considered three essential elements one has to practice. Austerity runs through all of these essential elements.

It is a shame to a country that has taught Sanatana Dharma to the entire world! I have never seen such exhibition of wealth by any other billionnaire in the world and the nearest comparison is by another Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal in the United Kingdom when he conducted his daughter's wedding. But it is satisfying to see India also has people like Tata family who contributes 66% of all of their earnings to charity and hence never reached the peak of wealth under any circumstances despite having a chain of companies in every industry.

One has to learn to treat everything one possesses like a Trustee to lead a meaningful life. There is no end to desires and attachments. I am not questioning Ambani family's brilliance in business savviness or earning and accumulating wealth but they should exercise more care and diligence how to spend their wealth.

 

Wow Rihana, you took the words right out of my mouth.

I for one was not invested in this wedding or their celebrations but i never begrudged them for having one. Out society, education, workplace and even our family always tells us to look at someone who is doing better and always strive to grow and achieve more in everything. For that matter, every day, every minute people are always on the lookout for better opportunities be it job, or country they want ot live. People want the best.

Well, the Ambanis have the money, have access to the best of the best things in the world. Why is the family celebrating the wedding in such a fashion a big crime?

Its his hard earned money, which he is splurging on his own son for his wedding and i believe that should be his wish and will to do so.

And imagine the scale it was celebrated on. So many people were engaged in getting these celebrations going. Imagine how many people worked and earned profits out to participating in this wedding. At least these guys didn't plan a destination wedding which seems to be the fad now and splurge their money out of india.

somehow i feel, people today have become very narrow in their thoughts and actions. people in this thread are commenting on how the Birlas and Tatas are epitome of austerity. Well, maybe, yes, they can be. That's their personal choice. The Tatas like to give away money, that's his wish. The Ambanis like to spend on themselves, well again, that's their wish. Their money! Their rules!!

Why do you want them to live their life on how you think life has to be led? Dictating or telling how others should lead their life and measuring the same on our scale of what is right and wrong is just plain wrong.

So basically, i guess Ambani should have come down and checked with every Tom, Dick and Harry of this country and asked him 'dear, i have so much wealth and money and fame and my third child who has suffered a lot in terms of health is getting married. We are overjoyed that we found someone who loves him so much. So pls tell us how to celebrate his wedding so we can plan it'.

People have become so negative that they have stopped seeing that these people are also humans with emotions. I mean look at the name of this thread - Divorce planner. Seriously? Someone is happy that they have found a person they want to share their life with and they are entering into the next chapter of their life and here you are planning how to divorce or that they would?

Where is all the sanatana feeling here that we should feel happy for others too! Why does the feeling limit itself to spending money and being charitable and for not being happy for someone else?

I guess social media is just vomit media now. Everyone has a say and everyone is right. Everyone feels entitled to say anything and everything irrespective of whether they have earned it or not! So be it!!

 

I am the only one who commented on Tata's Group using 66% of their wealth for charity and the importance of practicing austerity and hence I am responding here. I am not saying Ambani has no right to celebrate his son's wedding and feel happy especially after his son went through a lot of health issues. But how he celebrated it, is something that is different from most weddings celebrated by billionaires. Is he the only billionaire in the world or even in India? Most billionaires in the world are living in simple houses when compared to the wealth they have. Besides, they are collaborating with each other how their wealth can be used for the well-being of the humanity. There are several examples.

Yes. We need to share the happiness with others but it should work both ways. No one is saying that Ambanis need to consult poor Indians as to how to conduct his son's wedding. But he should use his own conscience as to how such celebrations will be viewed by the people living in slums in the vicinity of his palatial house. When most of the country is struggling to make a living, why should one spend money for excessive celebration just because it is earned by him? Even press is irresponsible for reporting this wedding minute by minute including dancing of Hollywood, Bollywood and Kollywood stars in the wedding, how a golden watch is given to every invitee and even the wedding invitation.

Opinions may differ but it is best to look at them as differences of opinion than classifying them as media vomit. It is best if we can learn to respectfully disagree on our views especially in this forum where mutual respect and language discipline are voluntarily practiced by most ILites. What @Balajee chooses as title for what he writes is his prerogative. I am sure he doesn't wish this couple to split and it is purely a satire about ostentatious spending by Ambanis.

 

I think for us the celebrations seem to be grand including the expensive watches, the swathes of celebs and politicos being called via private jets and even Kim K and her sis being given (or loaned - who knows) diamonds for As last son's wedding. However for the A family, it's just a teeny tiny bit of their fortune. Just chillar paisa.

Interestingly Akash or Ishas wedding wasn't covered as extensively as or celebrated with as much pomp and grandeur as Anant.

Also till recently, I haven't seen Ambanis dresses or jewelry being discussed at length. However since it was their last son's wedding, they decked up in their best jewelry and clothes (they own 40% stake in Manish Malhotra label) and it's all bedazzling to our eyes.


Most guests that were invited were business or political move because MA has dealing with everyone and everywhere in the world. Rihanna had to come out of retirement because Reliance owns Sephora in India and Indians are huge customers for Fenty (Rihanna's brand). Similarly, bolly actors cannot refuse an invite from India s richest man. But through the wedding MA wore very simple Indian Ethnic outfits AFAIK. During the pre wedding celebrations, MA was seen enjoying chaat made at the venue and that video was doing rounds.

Before the wedding, Nita Ambani wore Emperor Shah Jehan's (if I remember right) crown jewel as a bajuband for an event. It was acquired through an international auction house. I first thought it was ostentatious to buy such a thing. But on second thought, I am glad she is buying back jewels that originally belonged to India and keeping it in India. Agree it's private citizen buying it. But at least it's owned by an Indian.She has diamonds and emeralds the size of an ostrich egg that would put rocks to shame. She owns a Rs. 10 crore Himalaya Birkin bag.

What do you do with so much of money? It literally seems like more they spend more-er money they get..

They have several drivers and servants. From what I have read, they pay for schooling and higher education even for their children and pay their servants very well and give them a place to live.

A small snippet - In 1997, MA was issued notice by Pollution Control board because RIL was polluting land around it in Jamnagar. What does the motabhai do? He purchased 600 acres of land around RIL Jamnagar and planted mango trees. Today, those trees are giving bountiful harvests and the mangoes are being exported all over the world and very profitably so.

MA is a man with Midas touch and has taken his father's business to heights that Senior Late DA wouldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams.

Finally it is their personal wealth and how they choose to spend it is their business.

Infact I was reading that if they spend 30 crore rupees each day, it would take them 958 years to deplete it.