FICCI Ladies Organisation Interactive Session with Actress Vidya Balan

FLO organized an Interactive Session on Revival of Handloom with film actress Vidya Balan

Saree is the only garment that embraces you. Whatever your physique, colour of your skin, it embraces you: Vidya Balan

Handloom Saree Drape well: Vidya Balan

Talks are on to host a TV Show. It is not a reality show. It is not yet finalized: Vidya Balan

Commenting on her getting into Telugu film industry, Vidya Balan said she is waiting for some good offer. And it that happens she is willing to work

I am familiar with many places in Hyderabad. I have shot for films in many locations: Vidya Balan

Audience suggested to Sanjay Garg, Fashion Designer and Founder of Raw Mango to introduce readymade saree for the safe convenience in wearing so that modern women can wear it for 365 days

Girls who wear saree today, don’t want to look like their grandmother. They want to look contemporary: Sanjay Garg

The days are not far too see a photograph of gorgeous women in Handloom sare featured on the cover of the International Brand/Magazine like Vogue: Bandana Tewari, Fashion Features Director of Vogue

FLO honored two Hyderabadis Suraiya Hasan and Uzramma who have been the champions of the cause of Handloom.
Hyderabad, September 3, 2015…..FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) a national Body, a division of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) today orgnaised an interactive session on Revival of Handloom with film actress Vidya Balan here in a city hotel.

She was in conversation with Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango. Sanjay Garg is Fashion Designer and Founder of Raw Mango, a brand known for contemporary Indian hand woven textiles crafted using traditional techniques.

The session was moderated by Bandana Tewari, Fashion Features Director of Vogue. Vogue is the Indian edition of internationally known brand, bringing the best of global and Indian fashion, beauty, people, parties and culture.

FLO honored two Hyderabadis Suraiya Hasan and Uzramma who have been the champions of the cause of Handloom.

Vidya Balan is always seen in Indian apparel particularly when most young women shied away from it. She is credited with making the saree a fashion statement. She wears mostly Handlooms. She feels very strong for Handlooms. She has been promoting handloom sarees. She has expressed her liking and love for Handloom sarees. She has been actually doing a lot of work on the revival of Handlooms in our country.

Handloom, or fabric woven by hand, makes up just over a tenth of India’s total fabric production in India now.

Participating in the interactive session Vidya Balan said Saree is the only garment that embraces you. Whatever your physique, colour of your skin, it embraces you. All you need is you must learnt embrace yourself she said. Saree can be cool, contemporary, sexy, stylish, she added.

Speaking further she added that being traditional has become a bad word. But, it is cool and fun, she said.

I told my family members to present me Kanjeevarm sarees on my every birthday. I will soon out do my mother in Saree collection. Whever I go people present me saree. I also buy them. I also gift them. On my journeys abroad, I have gifted sarees to many. When you wear saree on your international journeys, you will become star. Lot of people abroad told me that I look like Indian Princes, Indian goddess. People all over the world have recognized this. Now our young girls need to recognize it, she said.

My interest with saree grew along with growing times. That has come naturally to me. Wearing saree I carry out with almost all of my acting related works with ease she said.

Handloom Saree drape better she said. I am not fashion conscious. I don’t know fashion. I always keep away from brands, Vidya Balan said.

I work with Textile Ministry for Silk Mark. Similarly, there must be something for Handloom sarees to distinguish genuine from the fake, said Vidya Balan

When asked about most memorable saree moments in Indian cinema she said Meenkumari, Rekhaji and Shabana Azmi all wear sarees and look pretty she said.

Commenting on Siddharth her husband gifting he, she said he gifted her many sarees. All of them are my most favourite sarees. I cant pic any one and say this is the most favourite she said.

Replying to another question about her venturing into hosting a TV show, Vidya Balan replied that talks were going on to host a TV Show. It not a reality show. It is net yet fianlised.

When asked about her venturing into Telugu Film industry, she said that she was waiting for good offers. If that happens, she is willing to accept it.

Replying about her shopping, she said, she doesn’t go out for shopping to buy sarees. Whenever, she needs some, she said she will ask her friends to send some.

I know city well. I like it. I have shot for film in many locations like Nampally, Charminar, Ramoji Film City and many locations she said.

Once Handlooms were considered as Mother Sarees. Only elderly women used to prefer them. But, things have changed now. Lot of young girls too are wearing handloom sarees. Wearing Handloom Sarees for young women in India now is a fashion statement. They were until recently considered uncool. But, things have changed. And they changed for good. “Sari clads are considered now as intellectuals”, said Sanjay Garg.

Those who wore Sarees particularly Handloom ones were considered that they were not Fashion Conscious. But, today Saris are back with bang and that too traditional saris like Handlooms. Rani Mukherjee, Kiran Rao, Neha Dupia, Soha Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Meera Nayudu, Nandita Das and many more are seen often in Handloom saris.

Girls who wear Saree day to day they don’t want to look like their grandmothers. They want to look contemporary. They are the women of today, said Sanjay Garg

Among other innovations he is working on, Sanjy Garg said that he was experimenting the way saree is tied. And want to bring in some innovation. At this point of time somebody from audience suggested him to design a readymade saree just for the sake of convenience in wearing. So that young women instead of wearing saree for just 100 days in a year, may also wear for 365 days. He smiled and said it would be possible.

Replying to a question whether it was possible in near future to see Women in Handloom saree being featured on the cover of the Vogue, Bandan Tewari, Fashion Features Director of Vogues said, The days are not far too see a photograph of gorgeous women in Handloom sare featured on the cover of the International Brand/Magazine like Vogue

The session drew lot of response from the members of the FLO. 250 members graced the occasion. Most of them came in Handlooms and other traditional sarees.

Earlier, welcoming the gathering Rekha Lahoti, Chairperson of FLO said “a saree accentuates one's feminity like no other garment does. Simply put, its the best tease. It covers just the right amount and leaves the rest to your imagination….this is said by none other than the one and only Vidya Balan , who has graciously accepted our invitation to address our members as a chief guest and as a brand ambassador and spokesperson for Revival of Handlooms of India” .

A 'handloom' is a loom that is used to weave cloth without the use of any electricity. Hand weaving is done on pit looms or frame looms generally located in weavers’ homes. Weaving is primarily the interlacing of two sets of yarn – the warp (length) and the weft (width), she said.

Speaking further Rekha Lahoti added that the actress Vidya Balan, often flaunted traditional Indian weaves, she always felt strongly for the dying art of handloom in the country and has been spreading awareness about weavers’ work. Today, we all are supporting her cause in our own ways promoting it...by wearing handlooms ourselves, she added.

Let’s all join hands to popularize the art of handlooms. We grew up with the loom of the land all around us ... The khadi kurtas that were worn by our dads and granddads.., the soft silk with kairi borders and checks were all over. Unfortunately the art of weaving has been slowly and steadily dwindling in the last few years ..and we have been reading news deaths of weavers .. Families moving away from traditional art and livelihoods are becoming a norm, Rekha said.

Did you know that there were over 43 lakh individuals engaged in the weaving industry, many of them women who are struggling day in and day out to make ends meet . Fortunately the Government is also waking up to this fact and has declared 7 August as 'The National Handloom Day' to promote the use of Handloom which can directly impact and enhance the income of the weavers. FLO has always been on the forefront to support such empowering initiatives, Rekha Lahoti informed.

Quoting Vidya Balan, who said “When you reach your lowest, the only way forward is upwards”, Rekha said her films liberated many girl’s mindsets.

Stating further Rekha added that Vidya Balan, was the national sanitation brand ambassador, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav flagged off an initiative titled “Changing Behaviour: Creating Sanitation Change Leaders”.

On this occasions, some of the initiatives taken up by FLO this year such as WOMEN IN TRANSPORT, WE IN EDUCATION, WOMEN CORPORATE DIRECTOR , SWAYAM were screened for the benefit of the Guest.

Rekha also informed about the forthcoming programs which included a session on Family Business in this month and others to be followed in subsequent months.


Vidya Balan addressed the press conference along with Rekha Lahoti, Chairperson of FLO Hyderabad prior to the interactive session.