After months of lavish celebrations, the wedding ceremony of the son of Asia’s richest man is finally underway in the Indian city of Mumbai.

Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, is tying the knot with pharma tycoon Viren and Radhika Merchant, daughter of Sheila Merchant.

The four-day extravaganza is the final stop in a series of elaborate parties the family has hosted since March, featuring performances by pop stars including Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian, and former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, were among the international guests. Also spotted was American wrestler and actor John Cena, who was seen hugging and congratulating the host’s relatives.

Mumbai’s major roads are being closed for several hours a day until the festival ends on Monday.

Social media is abuzz with wedding updates, with people sharing moment-by-moment details of Bollywood stars and celebrities’ arrivals.

But the extraordinary prosperity has also led to a backlash – city residents complain that road closures have worsened traffic problems caused by monsoon floods, while others have complained of the seemingly never-ending traffic. The outward display of wealth at events has been questioned.

The Ambanis did not say how much the wedding cost them, but wedding planners estimate they have already spent between 11 billion and 13 billion rupees [$132m-$156m]. Rihanna was rumored to have been paid $7m (£5.5m) for her performance, while the suggested figure for Justin Bieber is $10m.

An unnamed Reliance executive claimed the event was a “powerful symbol of India’s growing stature on the global stage” when shared with reporters.

A luxury cruise and a mass wedding

In June, the Ambanis organized another pre-wedding celebration, this time, a luxury cruise from Italy to France. Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Pitbull performed for 800 guests, which included Bollywood stars and cricketers.

Money was also spent on constructing 14 temples within a sprawling complex at Jamnagar to showcase India’s cultural heritage and provide a backdrop for the wedding. The Ambanis generously hosted a mass wedding for 50 underprivileged couples as part of the celebrations.

On Wednesday, the family hosted a Bhandara – a communal feast for the underprivileged.