Urvashi Rautela’s tricolour outfit: Can you legally wear the Indian flag as a dress?

Model and actress Urvashi Rautela’s recent appearance at the Miss Universe India pageant has sparked controversy. Rautela was one of the judges at the pageant and walked the ramp during the finale draped in a tricolour. Rautela’s floor-sweeping tricolour gown was inspired by the Indian National Flag and while the actress perhaps wanted to pay tribute to the tricolour, her choice of outfit has not gone down well for many on social media.

What Urvashi wore

Urvashi Rautela’s Tiranga-inspired outfit featured a corset gown with orange and green panels on each side cascading down to the floor. At the middle was a white embellished fabric with an Ashok Chakra-inspired wheel at the centre of her waist, clinching the whole look. A high ponytail, diamond earrings, and dramatic winged eyeliner and pink glossy lips completed her runway glam.

The Tiranga-inspired ensemble featured a strapless corset gown, with orange and green panels down the length, beaded embellishments throughout the fabric, and a cluster of them pinned to her shoulder. An Ashok Chakra-inspired wheel sat at the centre of her waist, cinching the whole look together. A high ponytail left the canvas clean for diamond earrings to do the talking, and dramatic winged eyeliner and pink glossy lips completed her runway glam.

This was Urvashi’s third time judging the event. However, more than her questions, it was her attire that grabbed attention, with many netizens debating whether the outfit violated legal provisions that prohibit the national flag as a dress.

Speaking about her outfit, Urvashi Rautela toldANI: “Today is a very special day, and I’m wearing saffron and green, as you can see. It is created by an international designer called Dasha, and it took her three months to create this beautiful outfit.”

Can one wear the National Flag as a dress?

In 2024, the Ministry of Culture had issued a reminder on the dos and don'ts of using the tricolour. In a post on Instagram, the ministry had stated, "The National Flag cannot be used as part of clothing such as a costume, uniform, napkins, etc... Respect for the #NationalFlag is a reflection of our national pride."

Urvashi Rautela’s garment, however, is in a grey area. The outfit is only inspired by the tricolour, and she did not drape the flag per se. However, according to the National Flag Code of India, it is illegal to wear the flag or any design of it as an accessory or garment below the waist.

In Urvashi’s case, the tricolour-embellished gown cascades down to the floor. Allowing any flag-inspired outfit or material to trail on the floor is also considered disrespectful and a legal violation.

Under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, disrespecting the flag in public can mean up to three years in prison, a fine, or both. A 2005 amendment added Section 2(e), which bars the flag from being worn below the waist or printed on dress material. Small, respectful lapel pins are allowed. A dress cut and draped in the flag’s image is not.

What is permitted then?

One is allowed to wear the national colours (the tricolour of saffron, white, and green) in standard clothing and accessories. This clothing must be worn respectfully, remaining above the waist, and it must not feature the actual flag proportions, the Ashoka Chakra as a print on improper areas, or actual flag fabric.

How the internet reacted to Urvashi’s dress

The internet was not too happy with Urvashi’s choice of outfit. One user wrote, “Let’s be absolutely clear: This is NOT patriotism. This is a direct violation of the law! According to The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, the National Flag must NEVER be used as a portion of a costume or worn below the waist.”

“The Tiranga (Indian National Flag) is never worn below the waist,” pointed out another user.

Another user reasoned, “Flag as fashion can feel off to me but patriotism matters.”

“This is inappropriate fashion and an Insult to our National Flag. Patriotism should be from the heart and not by dis-respecting our Tri Colour,” wrote another.

Past controversies around Tiranga-inspired outfits

Urvashi is not the first celebrity to stir up a controversy for wearing the Tricolour. In the past, celebs like fashion designer Malini Ramini and actress and TV host Mandira Bedi have been at the centre of controversies for wearing the tricolour.

In 2007, while hosting the World Cup final between Sri Lanka and Australia at Kensington Oval, Mandira Bedi had worn a saree designed by Puneet Nanda of Satya Paul, printed with the flags of every country participating in the tournament. India’s flag sat in the folds near her knee, close to her foot. The TV cameras caught it first which led to a nationwide uproar.

Designer Puneet Nanda had to tender an apology, as per reports: “I didn’t think our flag would end up near Bedi’s foot. I am sorry." Bedi apologised too, explaining she had saved the saree specially for the final because it carried the flags of all sixteen participating nations.

Much before Bedi’s saree, fashion designer Malini Ramani hit headlines for wearing a tricolour dress to the opening party of India’s first-ever Fashion Week. The incident recently resurfaced on Diet Sabya's pages. It reminded us all that Ramani’s dress had caused a huge backlash with many demanding a total shutdown of the Fashion Week itself. Ramani had to publish a public apology in every major Indian newspaper, and the dress itself was taken into police custody. The case took eighteen long years to be dismissed and her name cleared.

Two decades since Ramani’s dress created a nationwide stir, the reaction to Rautela’s outfit so far has been subdued. However, the Tricolour continues to be a source of inspiration for countless designers, even though they tread the waters carefully.