Pop star Justin Bieber brought the house down at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding festivities, which also saw film stars Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, and Ranbir Kapoor light up the stage with back-to-back memorable performances.
Bieber arrived in Mumbai on Friday morning before setting the stage at the Jio Convention Centre on fire at night with his chartbusters such as "Baby", "Peaches", "Love Yourself", and "Sorry".
The crowd sang and grooved along with the Canadian singer, who attained the status of a teen idol following the success of his debut extended play album "My World" in 2009.
In attendance were the who's who of the entertainment industry and sports arena, including Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, and Janhvi Kapoor as well as cricket stars MS Dhoni, and members of the T20 Cricket World Cup winning team Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Surya Kumar Yadav.
The vibe was easy and the mood was light, according to several videos from the much-talked-about event trending on social media.
In one of the clips, Bieber, 30, can be seen dancing with internet sensation Orry. In another, Alaviaa Jaffrey, daughter of Jaaved Jaaferi, is spotted hugging the two-time Grammy winner who continues with his performance with his admirer in embrace.
Bieber, who flew out to Miami after his special performance at the sangeet, was paid USD 10 million to perform at the event.
This wasn't his first time performing in India. The singer last came to the country in 2017 for his maiden concert. Bieber was supposed to return in 2022 for the India show of his 'Justice World Tour' but cancelled due to health reasons.
Another highlight of the star-studded gala was Salman and Anant's performance on the superstar's hit song "Aisa Pehli Baar Hua Hai" from "Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega.." (2000)
The duo entered the stage on an ATV bike and what followed was an entertaining act by Salman on the track with the to-be-groom trying to match the star's steps.
Ranveer gave an energising performance on the foot-tapping number "Ishq Di Gali Vich No Entry" from the 2005 multi-starrer "No Entry".
Real-life couple and Brahmastra co-stars Alia and Ranbir shook a leg with Akash Ambani on the latter's song "Show Me The Thumka" from the 2023 movie "Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar".
Arjun Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Shanaya Kapoor, and Shikhar Pahariya, and Veer Pahariya can be seen dancing to the song "Maria Maria" from "Partner" (2007), starring Salman and Govinda in the lead.
In another video from the event, celebrity couples Madhuri Dixit Nene-Sriram Nene and Vidya Balan-Siddharth Roy Kapur were seen chatting away animatedly with Mukesh Ambani, father of the groom.
Dressed in traditional finery, the entire Ambani family danced to "Deewangi Deewangi", the party anthem from 2007's "Om Shanti Om", starring Shah Rukh Khan.
The performance opened with Akash and entrepreneur Anand Piramal, Isha Ambani's husband, on the stage. They were soon joined by their wives Shloka Mehta and Isha.
Matriarch Nita Ambani enters next, followed by Mukesh Ambani who waves to the audience. Anant and Radhika then stepped onto the stage to dance along with the clan.
Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani, Atlee, Priya Atlee, Varun Dhawan, Natasha Dalal, Aryan Khan, Ananya Panday, Navya Nanda, Sara Ali Khan, and Ibrahim Ali Khan were also present at the sangeet.
After months-long pre-wedding festivities, Anant and Radhika, daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant, will finally tie the knot on July 12 here.
The celebrations kickstarted on March 1 in Gujarat's Jamnagar, known for the world's largest refinery, which is owned by Reliance Industries.
Previously, pop diva Rihanna performed at Anant and Radhika's pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar.
Last month, singer Katy Perry, pop group Backstreet Boys, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed at the couple's cruise tour party in Italy and the South of France.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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