Urvashi Rautela Defends Tricolour-Inspired Gown as Flag Code Debate Follows Miss Universe India 2026

Urvashi Rautela has defended the tricolour-inspired gown she wore while serving on the judging panel at the Miss Universe India 2026 finale in Jaipur, after the outfit prompted online criticism and questions about the appropriate use of India’s national symbols.

The actor appeared at the August 23 event in a floor-length couture creation featuring orange, white and green sections, silver fringe and a blue, Chakra-like ornament at its centre. Images and footage from the finale showed parts of the dramatic train extending across the stage floor one of the details highlighted by critics discussing the look online.

Rautela, however, maintains that the outfit was an artistic interpretation and not a reproduction of the Indian National Flag.

“There are several visible differences between the Indian National Flag and this gown,” she told Hindustan Times. “The most important point is that the gown is not a literal reproduction of the National Flag; it is a couture interpretation using tricolour-inspired elements.”

No official authority has publicly ruled that the gown violated the Flag Code or the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act. The controversy, at the time of publication, remains an online debate rather than a reported legal finding against the actor.

Urvashi Rautela explains the gown’s intended meaning

Rautela said the couture was meant to communicate her personal connection with India rather than simply reproduce the three colours of the flag.

“I carry my country with me not merely as a nationality, but as a part of my identity,” she said in the interview. “I wanted to wear something that didn’t merely tell people where I came from, but communicated what India means to me.”

According to Rautela, the gown was created by Belarusian designer Darya Chermashentseva of DASHA Fashion Couture and took approximately three months to complete.

She said the silhouette, colour placement, construction and embellishment had all been adapted for a fashion presentation. At the event itself, Rautela also identified the designer as “Dasha” and said the outfit suited the occasion because she was judging the national pageant.

The actor described the completed look as “a theatrical, high-fashion homage” that borrowed the tricolour and a Chakra-like motif.

Her defence rests on the distinction between using the National Flag itself and creating clothing influenced by its colours and symbolism. She said the design deliberately changed the shades, direction of the colour bands, proportions, materials and central ornament. The orange was not presented as the officially specified saffron, she argued, while the green and the ornamental blue motif also differed from the flag’s prescribed design.

Why did the outfit attract criticism?

The criticism did not arise merely because the gown contained orange, white and green. Those colours are widely used in clothing, decorations and visual campaigns connected with India.

The questions raised online centred on how closely the complete arrangement resembled the National Flag, the Chakra-like ornament and the gown’s extended train. Some commenters argued that a design invoking the Tiranga should not appear below the waist or trail across the floor.

However, online accusations do not themselves establish that a legal violation occurred. Determining whether a particular fashion design legally constitutes the National Flag or merely draws inspiration from its colours and imagery would require an authoritative assessment of the actual garment and the surrounding circumstances.

No publicly available statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the pageant organisers or a court was found declaring Rautela’s outfit unlawful.

What do India’s National Flag rules say?

The Flag Code of India, 2002, and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, contain rules intended to protect the dignity of the National Flag.

Among other restrictions, the Flag Code states that the National Flag must not be allowed to touch the ground, floor or water. The 1971 Act addresses using the National Flag as part of a costume or uniform, wearing it below the waist, and embroidering or printing it on certain materials intended for clothing.

That legal context explains why the gown generated questions. It does not, by itself, settle whether Rautela’s outfit falls within those restrictions. The central issue is whether the garment should legally be treated as the National Flag or as a separate couture design inspired by national colours and a modified motif.

Rautela’s explanation addresses this distinction, but it should be reported as her defence not as a definitive legal interpretation.

The Miss Universe India 2026 context

The appearance took place during the Miss Universe India 2026 finale at Zee Studios in Jaipur. Rautela was part of a judging panel that also included Sushmita Sen, Celina Jaitly, Rhea Singha and Pragya Kapoor.

Kaziah Liz Mejo, a 19-year-old law student from Kerala, won the national title and is scheduled to represent India at the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico in November 2026. Vaishnavi Gannesh of Tamil Nadu finished as the first runner-up, while Gujarat’s Anushri Satavlekar was named second runner-up.

The Celebrity Hour Take

The controversy shows why fashion based on national symbols can be more complicated than using a patriotic colour palette. A designer may intend tribute and artistic transformation, while viewers may judge the result according to how closely it resembles an officially protected symbol.

The most responsible conclusion is therefore narrower than many social-media posts suggest: Rautela wore a tricolour-inspired gown, some viewers considered its treatment inappropriate, and she responded that it was deliberately designed as couture rather than as the Indian National Flag. Without an official complaint, investigation or legal finding, describing the outfit as a proven Flag Code violation would go beyond the available evidence.

Sources & Verification

This report was prepared using Rautela’s remarks published by Hindustan Times, photographs and event footage from the Miss Universe India 2026 finale, the pageant’s official crowning announcement, and the Ministry of Home Affairs’ published Flag Code and national-honour legislation. Reports documenting the online criticism were reviewed for context. No official legal finding against Rautela concerning the gown was identified at the time of publication.