Saree Dreams

She is the “dare diva”, she is the darling bollywood, Australian and UK actress. She goes to Afghanistan and Iraq to do a show for the troops and what happens?

Some deluded, lonely soldier has some fantasies about her, makes some unsubstantiated claims and next thing you know she is being maligned and accused of inappropriate behavior.

Instead of being thankful that she went to the war zone, people are casting doubts on her character.

This is just wrong! Why does every good deed gets punished?

I trust her when she says that she didn’t do anything inappropriate and moreover, IT IS NONE OF OUR BUSINESS.

She is a very talented and beautiful women and I for one resent this mob mentality that Australian, UK and Bollywood hypocrates are dishing out.

She has done some provocative photos shoots, but you got to learn by now that a public persona of provocative photo shoot does not make the person “easy” or somehow lacking in character.

Just Stop! NO MORE OF THIS TAWDRY INNUENDOS.

I look forward to seeing her in upcoming Bollywood movie as the Dare Diva and appreciate her taking the time to visit the troops and enjoy her beauty and talent.

Here are some gorgeous picture of the gorgeous and lovely women, Tania Zaetta. The earlier post can be seen here.

Update - the AU THE Defense Department has issued an unreserved apology to entertainer Tania Zaetta after a leaked memo accused her of inappropriate behaviour with the troops.

Zaetta said there was little opportunity to be alone with any soldier while on the tour, even if she had wanted to be. “They (the defense department) keep … a close eye on you all and we at no one time really ever split up from being a group,” she said. “You’re never alone with any soldiers, you are in full view of everybody else the entire time.”

I hope she sues the AU defense department and gets $$$$.

Urmila Matondkar is a Barbie doll that every one wants to dress up. And why not - she looks good in everything. This genre of heavily embellished sari that Urmila is wearing, is not for me. But back when I was playing with Barbie dolls, that is precisely the kind of sari that I would have chosen for dress up!

Vidya Balan’s face suggests freshness and innocence, and this sari color is perfect for her. Hanging between a sky blue and turquoise, the sari has a certain fresh appeal to it, even if it is a trifle busy with the embroidery. I am not sure if I like the chunky beads though. Vidya would have looked super with a delicate silver filigree set.

Lmlangf in A year in the thar desert - heat, sand, and lassis in india writes about the second hand saree purchase in Jodhpur.

something else i love about india: the secondhand sari vendors in the clock tower market of the old city. sometimes on sundays smita and i indulge ourselves by jumping in an autorickshaw and making our way to the crazy, chaotic, psychedelic city center in the afternoon heat, beelining our way through the fruit and vegetable stands, the little displays of pots and pans and buckets, the slick young guys touting bootleg bollywood DVDs, straight to the half-dozen or so staid-looking women sitting with their legs pretzeled up around them behind neatly-stacked rows of secondhand saris laid out on a blanket. they always keep their poker faces on when they see us coming, but usually the initial realization (”it’s them!”) that flickers in their eyes as we approach is hard to miss. we must be their best customers. for our part, we always saunter up casually, greeting them with even-toned “namastes,” nonchalantly eyeing their wares with an all-too-calculated air of indifference, carefully restraining ourselves from jumping at the first gorgeous silk piece that catches our eye.

we buy these saris for a variety of different reasons. some are just intoxicatingly beautiful silk of colors so rich you cannot believe that they can possibly be captured on a fabric so delicate, pinks and blues and yellows and greens, with intricate silver handwoven brocade that calls to mind the corridors and passageways of eternal mazes of flowers. others look like they would make pretty sweet apartment curtains, although to date i’ve only been bothered to sit down and hand-sew one set of them (a sky blue adorned with flowers and peacocks, which isn’t nearly as tacky as it sounds, and flutters nicely under the fan in my living room). others, usually nice cotton ones still in good condition (no rips, holes, or bloodstains - i’m not kidding), we actually wear (after a thorough hand-washing up on my sunny balcony, of course). since lately i’ve fallen into the habit of wearing saris like they’re going out of style (which believe me, they are definitely not), i’m always up for another nice light one that will swath me through another mindnumbingly hot desert day.

it’s easy enough to find a ready-made petticoat which will match the sari, but the blouse is a whole different story. first you have to find a matching center that has an array of colored fabrics that you can choose from for a color which will match the sari. then you buy that material and take it somewhere else to a tailor (neither sari shops nor matching centers actually have tailors). here you drop it off, describe the type of blouse that you want (deep-necked, belted, shorter sleeves, etc…a vast variety of options that mean a difference of perhaps one or two inches of fabric in the overall design of a blouse), he takes your measurements, and then you wait anywhere from a week to a month until the tailor feels like giving it to you, which is never, ever, don’t even dream it, on the day that he originally told you it would be..

It is really unfortuate that the second hand saree concept or “exchanging” saree idea t has not taken a foothold in Indian main stream. It’s high time!

There is so much that can be done to give a face lift to a saree, especially with prevailing fashion sense where exactly matching blouse is not necessary for the saree ensemble to be complete.

At times, I have thought about a sari exchange web site. Oh well.. it will happen when the time is ripe.

We showcased this saree a few weeks ago, but I wanted to point out the gorgeous heavily hand embroidered blouse that goes with the saree.

And here is the obligatory glancing back pose!

Love the hint of blouse in the embroidery - just enough to stir your senses.

Not sure about this saree blouse - the color doesn’t clash, in fact I think black goes well with the crepe and gold zardoji, but it just looks like an after-thought; something that is not fully integrated with the saree.

I would have complained about the Crimson blouse but it it is a continuation of the crimson color on the border of the saree and also a tertiary color in the saree design.

I love the drape, it is nicely executed.

She just looks so happy and glowing and beautiful.

Smriti Irani at Star Pariwar Awards 2008 at NCPA Nariman Point in Mumbai on May 17, 2008.

I really like this photo series; this is a simple saree and attractive blouse design. My only complain is that the blouse needed one more faster at the bottom, it just looks kind of unfinished,

The artificial messy look is a gimmick that could have been played out a little better. When human’s are asked to create “beautiful mess”, they fail miserably.

OK, here is the third picture from the series, it would have really been great it it didn’t look so contrived.

Click for a better view!