A certain Sneha Roy was the rage on the Internet on Thursday. Her claim to fame? The 19-year-old from Assam wrote an open letter of sorts to popular columnist Shobhaa De, in response to her comment on the duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton’s sartorial sense.
Among other things, Shobhaa had commented, “A saree needs curves, a saree demands a derriere. Kate has none.” That didn’t go down too well with Roy, who took to social media to make her displeasure known. She wrote, “Let me tell you, when an 80-year-old Indian woman, be it your aging mother, mother-in-law or your grandmother, greets you with a smile so radiant, bedecked in a saree loosely draped over her frail body, her once supple youth having fallen victim to time, a saree needs no curves.” Roy goes on to give many more examples of how curves have little to do with a saree’s flow and fall. As it turns out, she is not the only person miffed at De’s remarks. The author received much flak on social media and was accused of ‘body shaming’ Kate. She is unperturbed however. When we contacted her for a response to the hullabaloo over her words, she responded with a cool, “Don’t know Sneha Roy, don’t care.”
Ask the experts and they’ll tell you that saree in fact, is the best hack job outfit of all times. Designers Shaina N.C. and Gaurang Shah known particularly for their six-yard creations are of the opinion too. According to Shaina, “The saree is the only garment in the world that can make a thin woman look voluptuous and a fat woman look sensual. So I don’t agree with Shobhaa’s comment but using words like ‘body shaming’ on social media is too harsh. Everybody is entitled to an opinion. We’ve had a Liz Hurley to a Jemaima Khan wear a saree with much élan and I am sure that Kate would also do so.”
That’s the sartorial aspect of it. Sophie Choudry, who was present at the charity gala believes that it was inappropriate to say the things Shobhaa did and commends Sneha on her words. “Bravo! love this response to what I consider a rather thoughtless and somewhat irresponsible comment by an acclaimed writer and prominent female figure in Indian society!”
Actor-turned-fashion designer, Mandira Bedi says, “I have never and will never make comments on someone else’s body or dressing. Ms De is paid to give opinions and is known for them, and that's what makes her who she is. Any backlash on body shaming comments is completely justified.”Author Anuja Chauhan, on the other hand, says “People raised questions about Sushma Swaraj covering her head in Saudi Arabia! I think this is a storm in a tea cup. Everybody is entitled to an opinion but please let us reserve them for more relevant issues.”
