Ambanis host son Anant’s fiancee Radhika Merchant’s ‘Arangetram’ in Mumbai

Chandigarh, June 6

Radhika Merchant, Anant Ambani’s bride-to-be, on Sunday gave a Bharatnatyam performance at the Grand Theatre in the Jio World Centre at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

The ‘Arangetram’ or ‘ascent to the stage’ by Radhika was attended by the Merchant and Ambani families, including their friends from the fields of public service, business and arts, to support and encourage her first on-stage solo performance.

The guests in their traditional best with brocaded and embroidered silk saris and elaborate sherwanis and kurtas passed through the Dhirubhai Ambani Square into the Grand Theatre.

In the interest of everyone’s safety and good health, all covid protocols were followed, including testing prior to the event.

Radhika’s performance marked success for her and her guru Bhavana Thakar, who trained her in Bharatnatyam for over eight years for her ‘Arangetram’.

Radhika will be the second Bharatnatyam proponent in the Ambani family after Nita, who is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer.

Her performance consisted of all traditional elements of the Arangetram ndash; starting with the Pushpanjali to invoke the deities of the stage, god, guru and the audience to seek their blessings, followed by Ganesh Vandana and the traditional Allaripu — prayers for the success of the performance.

This was followed by the popular bhajan ‘Achyutam Keshavam’.

A powerful rendition of Shiva Panchakshara followed the bhajan and portrayed the eternal dance of Lord Nataraj.

Radhika then performed the ‘AstaRasa’.

The culmination was with the Tillana ndash; a dance with intricate footwork, complex hand movements and statuesque postures.

She received a thunderous applause for her performance.