When Mukesh Ambani met Nita: how did an arranged marriage transform into true romance for India’s richest power couple?

Jan 11 , 2021

Mukesh and Nita Ambani’s union might have started as an arranged marriage, but the two soon found love. Photo: @nitaambaniii/Instagram

Real-life Indian Matchmaking? The husband and wife at the centre of India’s richest family were set up on a blind date by patriarch Dhirubhai Ambani – but over 30 years later, the couple is still going strong

If you’ve ever watched controversial hit Netflix reality show Indian Matchmaking, you’ll know how difficult it can be for even the most skilled matchmaker to find the perfect spouse-to-be for an arranged marriage. Not only do they have to meet all the prospective bride and groom’s requirements, there are the families to please, as well.

For Mukesh Ambani, it was his father Dhirubhai who took on the unofficial role of matchmaker. He took just one look at Nita and knew that he had found his son’s future wife. And if the couple’s successful marriage is anything to go by, he had great taste.

Here’s how Mukesh and Nita’s arranged marriage turned into a true love story.

It started with a dance

Nita, a trained bharatanatyam dancer, was doing a routine at a cultural dance show when she enthralled Dhirubhai with her performance.

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani with his mother Kokilaben and his wife Nita in 2010. Photo: The India Today Group via Getty Images

Nita thought Dhirubhai’s phone calls were pranks – and hung up on him

Dhirubhai was so taken with Nita that he tracked down her number and gave her a call at home. But things didn’t go as planned: Dhirubhai made the call and introduced himself only to have the phone slammed down on him.

“He called again and I said, ‘Yeah, so, I am Elizabeth Taylor,’ and disconnected the line,” Nita recounted to Entertainment Times.

The third time, fortunately, was the charm. Nita’s father picked up and confirmed that it was really Dhirubhai. “[My father] told me, ‘It’s really him! You better talk to him properly,’” Nita said.

Dhirubhai eventually invited Nita to his office and asked if she would like to meet his eldest son, Mukesh.