A YouTube clip akin to a high-end Bollywood music video gives a first peek into the lavish five-day Gupta wedding staged in February at Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace, one of the world’s most luxurious hotels.
AmaBhungane earlier revealed details of the event, estimated to cost at least R100-million.
The wedding was slated as a double feature, with Rajesh “Tony” Gupta’s daughter Shubhangi Singhala marrying Chetan Jain and Atul Gupta’s son Srikant Singhala tying the knot with Akhya Bansal. The YouTube clip features only Shubhangi and Chetan’s nuptials.
New Delhi-based Isha Films produced the four-minute “teaser” video, titled: “Destination Wedding in Abu Dhabi | Big Fat Indian wedding in Emirates Palace”.
Describing the nuptials, the company says on its YouTube page: “Isha Films reaches the magnificent Abu Dhabi with Chetan & Shubhangi... Come witness the grandeur with us as the beautiful couple takes vows for an everlasting bond with the union of two families, graced by some of the well-known faces of the industry!”
The video shows opulent decorations and flower arrangements, exquisite Indian couture and jewellery, pyrotechnics, a multitude of live-music and dance acts, and the requisite Rolls Royce arrival.
A beaming Tony Gupta features several times – without apparently a care despite being at the centre of state capture allegations in South Africa.
* The video was removed from Youtube after this story was published. We subsequently linked to a saved version.
The amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, an independent non-profit, produced this story. Like it? Be an amaB Supporter to help us do more. Sign up for our newsletter and WhatsApp alerts to get more.