Sari state of affairs

Smriti Kedia, in her mid twenties who works as an assistant manager with an NGO, was in for a rude shock a few days ago. After attending a wedding, she headed to a nightlub with a friend only to be told she wouldn’t be allowed since she was dra ped in a sari! “The pub manager told me that club rules don’t allow women in saris. Salwar Kameez and smart westerns were acceptable, we were told. A long argument followed, after which the manager softened his stand and extended an invitation and we spent some time at the pub. But the bitter experience spoilt the evening,” she recollects.

Smriti and her friend Karam Komireddy, a lawyer who accompanied her that evening, don’t see any logic to the rules. “It would have made sense if they said only western or Indian dressing was allowed. While they had no objection to women wearing salwar kameezes or kurtas, saris were not allowed,” adds Smriti. “It’s an irony that a woman dressed in a sari is unacceptable in a country where sari is the formal, national attire,” says Karam. “Agreed, it might be inconvenient for a woman to dance wearing a sari but then it’s a personal choice; she might just to want to just sit and enjoy music. The rule is sexist and unfair,” he adds.

The sorry state of saris and pubs is not unique to Hyderabad. Similar instances have been reported in Mumbai and Delhi as well. Reasons cited by pub owners vary from “maintaining a young, western atmosphere” to “smart western casuals as dresscode”.

Smriti’s experience is not an isolated one but very few women have been vocal about the issue. Most pubs, we observed, don’t enforce rules during afternoon and early evening hours. On ladies nights too, the dress code is relaxed to accommodate working women who might head to a nightclub after work. On Saturday nights though, sari is a definite no. “Recently at a pub, I noticed a youngster wearing track suits on the dance floor. It turned out that she headed to the pub after her yoga class. When a sports attire is accepted despite club rules, why not saris? Pub owners feel that sari doesn’t gel especially when there are events, say a Michael Jackson night,” says Dolly Singh, key accounts manager with a corporate firm.

Pub owners speak

Srikala Reddy, Touch

“Personally I think sari is a great attire. We are fine with women in saris in the restaurant Era and the lounge area. In the pub, we don’t encourage women in saris except on Sundays when we have Bollywood nights.

The club needs to maintain a certain profile. Youngsters who hang out at the pub aren’t sure of the profile if we relax the dress code. If there are private parties and invitees come dressed in saris, we make exceptions.”

Dheeraj Keswani, Excess

“We insist on smart casual dressing and the dress code demands that people come wearing appropriate shoes. But we don’t frown upon ethnic dressing. Most youngsters come dressed in smart westerns, though there have been women who have come to Excess after attending weddings. We haven’t turned them away.”

Shankar Krishnamurthi, Spoil

“We don’t allow men in shorts and slippers but have no reservation against women dressed in saris.”