Sari Stories of Strength: Malvika Singh on Memories, Fabric, and Feminine Power
Malvika Singh and Barkha Dutt celebrate the sari as India’s second skin—woven with memory, tradition, and the strength of women across generations.
In a heartwarming and profound conversation with journalist Barkha Dutt, veteran editor and cultural commentator Malvika Singh unveils the layers of her new book, Saris: A Memoir. Malvika Singh—a lifelong storyteller and influential voice in Indian publishing—shares how the sari is more than just an attire. For her, it's a "second skin," a woven archive of memories, relationships, and Indian civilization itself.
Malvika Singh's sari is not just a garment but a living memory—worn in theater, protest, celebration, and everyday life. She recalls personal mentors like Padma Naidu and leaders such as Indira Gandhi, whose choices in handloom symbolized strength and authenticity. Malvika Singh emphasizes that the sari transcends fashion trends, social classes, and even body types—liberating rather than constraining women.
Throughout the interview, she passionately advocates for patronage-based revival of India’s handloom traditions, not just for aesthetics but to preserve civilizational continuity. Her disapproval of stitched or "zip-up" saris stems from the fear of losing the sari’s organic, unbounded identity.
Barkha Dutt gracefully closes the discussion by reflecting on how Malvika Singh’s narrative not only resurrects the sari's cultural gravitas but encourages younger generations to reclaim their heritage. Malvika Singh's sari, passed down from mother to daughter, artisan to market, remains resilient—rooted deeply in Indian DNA, adapting with time, and always telling a story.