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Raveena Tandon tweets wearing saris makes one 'Sanghi' and 'communal'. Go figure

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DailyBiteJun 11, 2017 | 19:16

Raveena Tandon tweets wearing saris makes one 'Sanghi' and 'communal'. Go figure

Social media, especially Twitter, has provided many celebrities - current and former - a platform to air their views and engage directly with their audience. In India, however, what's been observed lately is many former stars: cricketers past their prime; ageing film actors; retired army folkers; has-been singers, to name a few - are all vying for attention, by stoking one controversy after the other.

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From Sonu Nigam to Virendra Sehwag to Abhijeet, these has-been celebrities are unnecssarily politicisng and polarising non-issues to get their two minutes of fame and maybe get back intp the spotlight. Or, perhaps, to be in the good books of the ruling establishment? Maybe. Maybe not.

The latest to join this bandwagon is 90s Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon. And the unfortunate object of a massive Twitterstorm was the humble sari. Yes, that elegant, previously non-political piece of woman's clothing has been politicised, rather given a "Hindutva" spin:

The actor says that she may be branded communal, a Sanghi, a bhakt, or even Hindutva icon for wearing a sari. We can only guess as to the superhuman logic behind this absolutely bizarre statement. Perhaps, Raveena is implying that only Hindu women can wear saris. Or, perhaps, it is the assumption that taking pride in anything "Indian" or "Bhartiya" makes one a "bhakt" or a "Sanghi".

Sorry to disappoint you, Raveena but saris are as far removed from any religion, region or ideology as can be. From Mother Teresa to Madhuri Dixit, Waheeda Rehman to Nandita Das; from Banarsi silk sari to Kerala's Settu Sari - the graceful attire, contrary to what Tandon implied, is all inclusive.

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As our columnist has written before, whether it be Madhubala trying to get hold of her pallu in the glamorous photoshoot for Life magazine, Waheeda Rehman swaying to her freedom in Guide's "Kaanton se kheench ke ye aanchal", the uber sexy Zeenat Aman draped in a see through sari, Madhuri Dixit doing the dhak dhak or Priyanka Chopra looking her best in that yellow sari while receiving the national award. The sari never fails to add to a woman's charm.

Many Twitter users called out the actor's baffling tweet:

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After causing much outrage, the actor later apologised through a series of tweets saying that her "sarcasm" was misconstrued and that she was taking on trolls (?).

We can only say that Raveena, it is to late to say sari. 

Last updated: June 11, 2017 | 19:16
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