By Salil Gewali
Our youngsters will unabashedly then shake their hips, matching the titillation of Rihanna, Britney Spears, and Beyonce Knowles.
The pre-marriage celebration of the wealthiest man’s son, Anant Ambani, left everyone's jaws dropping. With every moment of the event covered around the clock by the electronic media, it was a windfall for them. Many saw this extensive coverage as nothing less than blessings upon the commoners, so everyone enjoyed it.
Thanks to the wealth of Mukesh Ambani, Indians were able to witness things they would not have otherwise been able to experience. Money talks, money broadcasts, and money thus makes one go crazy. Besides top tycoons like Bill Gates, Ivanka Trump, and Mark Zuckerberg, pop sensation Rihanna was invited all the way from America to liven up the occasion.
Indeed, a great attraction for the event! Selected Bollywood celebrities also graced the event, adding to everyone's joy with their performances on stage. So, all performers were lavishly paid, with Rihanna herself said to have demanded a staggering 73 crore. Of course, this sheer level of extravagance and opulence is sure to set a benchmark in the world of wastefulness for the future. But it is none of our business to be judgmental.
However, while the magnificence of these celebrations may be out of reach for 99.9% of the population, they serve as a reminder of the exceptional lifestyles led by the super-wealthy and the fascination they command. It's as if marriage has become less about the wishes for “eternal love” and more about who can “outshine” all others with their flamboyant displays of wealth and excess. Ambani’s event has also given “legitimacy to extravagance,” silencing those who disagree.
True, the mega event is over and all guests have returned, but its "impact,” in the form of new ideas, innovation, and, for some inspiration, is sure to stay. They will affect society in multiple ways. What big shots do will usually be copied by others. So, no wonder, now such shows of opulence and extravagant entertainment will be gradually imitated by other rich people, just as children blindly copy their parents.
While many may not be able to afford the likes of Rihanna, invitations to grace pre-wedding celebrations with top actors and actresses from Tinsel Town are likely to become commonplace soon. No wonder, with time, its effect will permeate all through society. Even the lower middle-class people will find ways to splurge on such unwarranted matrimonial festivities. However, individuals and families who can’t afford it, or who don’t want to, might run the risk of being looked down upon, facing social stigma.
I’m afraid, who can guarantee that, with the passage of time, such show-off practices will not become equivalent to the “scourge of dowry”? Despite being "outlawed,” the dowry practice continues to hold sway over the majority of Indian society.
Much like how dowry culture has marred countless sacred marriages with domestic violence, holy matrimony is quite likely to be tainted by ostentatious displays of wealth and glamour infused with outrageous vulgarity. People will then not hold back from shaking their hips, matching the titillation of Rihanna, Britney Spears, and Beyoncé Knowles. Also, this trend, if left unchecked, could be one of the leading causes of societal decay.
It is very likely that marital relationships will then be measured only in terms of money spent on flashy arrangements and provocative entertainment while traditional rituals and values just shrugged aside. Should we really want the whisper of mutual understanding, sacrifice, and love to be drowned out by the cacophony of frivolity and materialism?
Finally, I wish Ambani had chosen to spend 50% of the money lavished on the pre-wedding bash on feeding the hungry instead, given the country's abysmal hunger index. God's blessings would have multiplied fiftyfold compared to what the Ambani families received from high-profile guests.
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An India-based writer and researcher, Salil Gewali is best known for his research-based work entitled ‘Great Minds on India’, that has earned worldwide appreciation. Translated into thirteen languages, his book has been prefaced by a NASA chief scientist – Dr. Kamlesh Lulla of Houston, USA. Gewali is also a member of the International Human Rights Commission, Zürich, Switzerland.