Babe, wake up: India’s ‘Rescue Prince’ has a birthday campaign

Babe, wake up. India’s “rescue prince” is celebrating his birthday. Forget everything – the wars, LPG shortages, migrant distress. Because April 10 marks the birthday of billionaire Anant Ambani, and the country seems to have collectively decided its biggest breaking story is… him.

From Mumbai’s Sea Link to the front pages of newspapers, his face is everywhere – smiling, benevolent, and gently reminding you that service comes with branding.

A video of the Sea Link bridge “illuminated” for Ambani’s 31st birthday was shared by the Press Trust of India.

On X (formerly Twitter), #AnantSeva was trending, painting the Vantara owner as the prime example of “leading by action”.

It doesn’t stop there. Much like Narendra Modi’s face appeared on Covid vaccine certificates, Ambani’s face is now appearing on distribution kits. (What is charity if not also a photo opportunity?)

In a video making rounds on social media, an NGO by the name of Arham Yuva Seva Group (AYSG), has provided clothes and other “daily essentials” on the “auspicious occasion of Shri Anant Ambani’s birthday” to thousands of “mandbuddhi” – a less appropriate term for persons with intellectual disabilities. 

Another viral video showed one Anant Seva Group offering “56 Bhog to Gau Mata”.

A front-page ad in Mid-Day wishes Anant Ambani and reads, “Celebrating a visionary who inspires service and change. A nationwide week of hope, help, and humanity.”

It also announces the launch of the Anant Seva Foundation, inviting those in need – from medical help to livelihood support – to reach out.

Last year’s ad featured Shiv Sena leader Rahool Kanal’s “I Love Mumbai Foundation”. This year’s ad has Kanal partnering with Anant Seva Foundation and one Anant Yuva Pratisthan.

Kanal is the same person who allegedly led the vandalism at Habitat Club after Kunal Kamra’s remarks during a comedy show.

An ad in Lokmat, a Marathi-language newspaper, read (translated) “One birthday… thousands of smiles… a celebration of humanity,” announcing food distribution to 5,000 households in Solapur.

The same news organisation also posted an Instagram reel by Kanal listing the countrywide charitable events organised by the Anant Seva Foundation.

On its front page, Ahmedabad Mirror, posted an ad stating that #AnantSeva has touched “1 crore lives”. The second page had over 150 separate photos of the “lives” touched. An article in the same tabloid, however, reads “Anant Ambani touches over 57L lives”. The same ad was featured on the front page of The Times of India.

Meanwhile, news agency ANI shared how students from Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) formed the 'Vantara logo' to celebrate Anant Ambani's birthday, as he announced “scholarships, learning opportunities, and job offers for students.”

The Free Press Journal shared a photo of a blood donation campaign at Nana Chowk, organised to celebrate Ambani’s birthday. 

Not just ads, these NGOs also partnered up with The Rameshwaram Cafe to host “Ann Seva – In Gratitude” initiative on April 8 and 9, providing free food to all. Documenting the charitable graciousness, a collab reel shared on Instagram shows people thanking Anant Ambani and wishing him a “happy birthday”.

Far from the charity, an ultra-rich birthday bash is organised in Jamnagar, Gujarat for April 10.

Media articles and paparazzi are now busy covering celebrities' style, checking who arrives first, and who flies in on private planes. An article in Hindustan Times documents a “pure love” moment as his wife Radhika Merchant “was seen planting a sweet peck on Anant’s cheek”. Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, and other Bollywood bigwigs have already wished their “brother”, another article points out. 

If you thought your birthday was sad… you should avoid April 10 altogether. Take a leave and sleep maybe. Or instead, support journalism that is actually worth your buck.

At Newslaundry, we try to focus on what doesn’t come with a PR kit – the stories that don’t trend, the people who don’t make it to the front pages, and the power structures behind both.

If you think journalism should do more than amplify birthday campaigns, subscribe to Newslaundry. Because news needs subscribers, not sponsors.