The Ambani family wedding was a grand spectacle. This over-the-top fairytale wedding was opulent, extravagant and opulent.
The optics was more than enough to set the social media abuzz and to get everyone’s attention
Our Collective Hypocrisy
Interestingly, the euphoria has had a pernicious impact and has invited the ire of many. Why? The supposedly 5000 Crore extravagance was deemed distasteful to our collective social sensibilities.
But, here’s where I see an uncomfortable truth about our collective hypocrisy beneath our indignation.
The Urge To Splurge Isn’t Unique To The Ambanis
It’s so easy to critique the Ambanis. But, the urge to splurge isn’t unique to the Ambanis – or the sole privilege of the super-rich.
Don’t we indulge in all of these just to underline our social status and familial pride?
Consider the average middle-class Indian wedding: the gold jewellery, expensive clothes, the multi-course meals, the elaborate décor.
We All Spend Beyond Our Means
Our weddings are not only occasions for familial connections but also an opportunity to showcase wealth and success.
It is something that the rest of us have been doing beyond our means and worse beyond the means of several others below us. In fact, the Indian wedding market is valued at a few billion dollars.
Forget our wedding events, Think of our own birthday parties and festivities! You can’t deny that these are no less equivalents of the same extravagance we now deplore.
The Difference Is In The Scale Not The Sentiment
While it’s easy to dismiss the Ambanis’ display as vulgar, it’s also crucial to reflect on why such displays resonate across society. Is it driven by an impulse that is all too human?
The urge to splurge, to show off, and to celebrate in grand style is a shared one. The difference, then, lies in the scale not the sentiment.
The Double Standards
The criticism of the Ambani wedding often smacks of a double standard. You are caught in a paradox of aspiration and envy. Interestingly, it is the very same people who denounce the splurge who aspire to display extravagance.
We don’t wallow in guilt but continue to live our lives as if it did not happened. Worse, we vehemently defend them as ‘cultural traditions’ or a “necessary” social obligation. But when the Ambanis do the same on a grander scale we simply troll.
Social Conscience Must Be Everyone’s Priority
This isn’t to defend the ostentation seen in the Ambani wedding. I know I risk looking like I am taking sides here.
I agree the contradiction of such lavishness is jarring, particularly in a country where there is abject poverty and income inequality. But shouldn’t our critique be tempered with self-awareness?
Our disdain for the Ambanis’ excesses should prompt us to question our own practices. Social conscience and welfare must be everyone’s priority.
Conclusion
In the end, critiquing the Ambanis’ splurge without examining our own tendencies is being hypocritical. But more importantly, it is also a missed opportunity for deeper introspection about societal values.
In rushing to point fingers, we are in danger of missing the big point. The Ambani wedding serves as a cautionary reminder.
