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by Reena Daruwalla, guest writer for Nancy Hayssen.com

As a child growing up in India, I always viewed the sari as a garment worn by school teachers and aunties.

As I grew up my interest in the sari grew and when I wore it for the first time I realized that there is a lot more to the sari than meets the eye. It is a sensuous and beautiful attire.

The fact that the west always viewed the sari as mysterious and complicated was revealed to me when I watched an episode of the Oprah show in which Aishwarya Rai, one of India’s most beautiful actresses showed Oprah how to wear one and draped one on her right there in front of the studio audience.

What the sari does is accentuates our good points and hides that which view as our physical flaws.

For instance, the way the choli (or blouse) is stitched can give even the most flat chested among us an almost generous bust.

The visible midriff between the blouse and the skirt gives an impression of a curving waist even to those who do not posses one (rather like me). The voluminous pleats and folds of the sari can disguise the chunkiest of thighs while at the same time giving the hint of a shapely ankle.

Saris range from the heavy traditional silks to the sheer modern chiffons and other trendy styles. The choli or blouse can be as conservative or as daring as you want it to be. It can be a full sleeved affair right up to your neck with a collar or it can be backless, strapless, barely there halter if you so wish! You can be as subtle and as daring as you wish. The slipping pallu (the part of the sari draped over the torso) reveals just as much cleavage as you may wish. You can bare as much midriff or as little of you midriff as you want.

Bollywood or Hindi Cinema has had a long love affair with the wet sari. Hindi films always have songs and romantic films very often have the lead couple caught in a storm somewhere so that there is cause to get wet and wild in the rain.

And there you will have the camera lovingly follow every wet contour of the heroines’ dripping wet, sari clad body. Somehow the wet sari seems more seductive than any other wet outfit and how well the cinematographers know that!