Cafe Mysore’s Shanteri Nagesh Nayak has been inundated with phone calls since Tuesday morning. The 75-year-old owner of Matunga’s iconic Udupi joint has been receiving congratulations from family and friends following her warm reception at the wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant.
The excitement stems from a 15-second viral clip showing Anant Ambani, son of Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, introducing Nayak to his bride, Radhika. In the video, Radhika walks up to Nayak with a big smile and says, “Every Sunday, we eat your food in our house.” Anant adds, “Thank you so much; only because of you, we…” Both then bend down to touch Nayak’s feet. Shloka Ambani also joins, expressing her anticipation for Saturdays as she too touches Nayak’s feet. The wedding took place on July 12 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex.
Nayak, unaware of the viral video, recounted the memorable event. After dinner, she expressed her wish to meet the couple. A staff member sought permission, and Nayak was given VIP access to the stage. Despite a long queue, her wheelchair was swiftly brought to the ramp, and she was on stage in no time.
“The minute I introduced myself to Anant Ambani, he was jubilant,” Nayak recalled. “He touched my feet and quickly called Radhika. They both touched my feet, saying they look forward to having food from Cafe Mysore. Shloka too touched my feet and said the same. They were so excited and happy, they spoke to me for a while, and Anant even said that he is honored that we made it to the wedding. It was a very big honor for me. They even asked me for a photo.”
Nayak, pleasantly surprised, blessed the couple and suggested the Ambanis keep the wedding decor for another week before opening it to the public.
Cafe Mysore has been a favorite of Mukesh Ambani since his college days in Matunga in the 1970s, and the family still enjoys its food every weekend. “Idlis are their favorite,” said Naresh, adding, “We send idli, sambhar, and chutney alongside batter for dosas so that they can have it warm at their home.”
