Shame Priyanka Chopra can't wear what she wants. Not even to a wedding
She attended the ceremony as a friend of Meghan Markle.
Bollywood actor (and now Hollywood celeb) Priyanka Chopra might have impressed the international media with her sartorial choices at the royal wedding, but it’s not been easy to impress the folks back home. Once trolled for exposing her legs in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Priyanka has now come under attack for covering herself in a purple Vivienne Westwood dress suit, teamed with a purple fascinator, both of which reflected nothing Indian.
From criticising her for "missing Indian culture" to concluding that the Quantico actor was looking horrible in the western outfit, the dress-shaming veered towards personal attacks, with Indians back home observing how Priyanka has been shamelessly “overplaying” her friendship card with Meghan Markle.
What sets these attacks apart from everyday social media trolling is the fact that experts associated with the textile and fashion industries have engaged in slamming the actress.
Some of the points raised by them are valid - but singling out Priyanka Chopra, and dress-policing her is neither fair, nor logical.
The debate started when former Samata Party president and textile revivalist Jaya Jaitly expressed her disappointment over Priyanka Chopra not opting for a beautiful sari. Also, the actress was sternly reminded by the fashion police that as Assam’s ambassador, she had a wide array of saris to choose from.
How sad an Indian actor attending the royal wedding in UK should dress like a British aristocrat at Ascot rather than represent a free and independent India in a beautiful Sari. pic.twitter.com/zXF9zpCbMq
— Jaya Jaitly (@Jayajaitly) May 20, 2018
Who are we to decide what Priyanka Chopra should wear?
The royal wedding, which has been hailed as the harbinger of a new era for doing away with many traditions, had a dress code. The dress code on the royal invitation requested a “morning suit or lounge suit” for men, and a “day dress with hat” for women.
Priyanka Chopra’s fashion quotient — she was styled by Mimi Cutrell and wore a Philip Treacy hat — was on point.
Completely unfair criticism of a woman who has done enough and more to put India on the World Map. If she is creating an international image for herself, how is that sad? She isn’t doing anything dishonourable. Would you ask why Modi doesn’t go touring in Kurta pyjama?
— Srinivas Ramamohan (@srini_ramamohan) May 20, 2018
How sad an Indian citizen using a language that was imposed by Britishers on us rather than represent our free and Independent India in our local languages. https://t.co/czl0sEMmRq
— Angoor Stark ???? (@ladywithflaws) May 21, 2018
Clearly not a free India if she’s not free to wear what she wants & have people judge her choice. Let’s not make everything an issue when it doesn’t need to be! #unfaircriticism
— Raising Karma (@raising_karma) May 21, 2018
Why a dress code?
The issue of a dress code launched a larger debate on social media as many people felt that she should not have attended the wedding, if the royals did not allow Indian outfits. Talking to IANS, Jaya Jaitly said, “When somebody in a village in India says ‘sar dhako (cover your head)’, we don’t want that… when somebody says, ‘Don’t wear jeans in college’, we say ‘Who are you to tell us a dress code?’ But if the Queen in England descends (sic) an invitation and say you got to wear a hat, which is not part of your culture, you will start saying there was a dress code.”
What Dress code? Ppl wearing Indian dress will not b allowed, then don't attend..
— R Nambiar (@LikeTruth14) May 20, 2018
Time to remember that Priyanka Chopra has the freedom to choose the occasions she wants to attend and not. No one, in this case, forced her to attend the event. Unlike a college dress code, she had the freedom to not attend the wedding, or to not conform to the dress code and still attend the wedding.
Priyanka attended the wedding in her personal capacity
Also, the actor did not claim to be representing India at the royal wedding. She attended the ceremony as a friend of Meghan Markle. The duo had met at a dinner celebrating women in television in 2016.
Short-shrift to Indian weavers
Jaya Jaitly, who is the founder and president of the Dastkari Haat Samiti, has a point when she says that local weavers and textiles remain overlooked as celebrities choose bigger labels. But that is applicable to mostly all showbiz events, including the Bollywood ones. Also, actors should be blamed in equal measure.
Choosing one single occasion and one individual to launch a larger debate on how local weavers are being ignored will not better the weavers' situation, or bring them more opportunities.
And the sari was there!
If the uproar is all about the sari, and therefore, Indian culture, activist Suhani Jalota, founder of the Myna Mahila Foundation and her colleagues — Archana Ambre, Deborah Das and Imogen Mansfield — attended the wedding, clad in saris. All of them wore saris designed by the Indian brand Raw Mango, run by designer Sanjay Garg.
Representing the Mumbai-based foundation, which has been working towards women's empowerment, these women chose not to abide by the dress code and to represent Indian culture.
Jalota's NGO was the only non-UK foundation chosen by the royal couple, who had announced that anyone wishing to gift them on their special day could instead make a donation to these charities invited to their wedding.
Now, isn't that a proud moment for Indians?
If these strong women cannot effectively represent 'Indian culture' at an international platform, and only a celebrity has to uphold Indian culture wherever she goes, it is very worrying for our culture itself.