Indians & Pakistanis Are Fighting Over Ariana Grande's 'Dupatta': What Is The Controversy?

On November 18, 2025, Grande appeared on the show to promote her film Wicked: For Good, wearing a black sheer tulle gown from the 1930s, sourced from Amarcord Vintage Fashion in Brooklyn. The dress, adorned with celluloid sequin foliage and featuring a dramatic flowing skirt, was celebrated by fashion critics for echoing the mystical aesthetics of the character Elphaba from the movie.

However, what many viewers noticed was the gown’s sheer tulle drape, which resembled a dupatta, a traditional South Asian scarf. That single styling detail triggered a cultural back-and-forth online.

‘Pakistiana Grande’ trends

Pakistani social media users began celebrating what they perceived as Pakistani-inspired styling. A viral post cheekily dubbed the singer “dupatta Pakistiana Grande”, gaining over a million views. One user wrote: “love the dupatta pakistiana grande”

Supporters argued that the dupatta’s design and styling align closely with Pakistani fashion sensibilities seen in traditional attire like shalwar kameez.

Indian users quickly countered, rejecting the claim and insisting the dupatta’s origins belong to a broader and far older cultural legacy of the Indian subcontinent.

One response read, “Pakistanis are now claiming Ariana Grande’s dupatta ‘comes from the Indus Valley Civilization,’ so technically it’s Pakistani.Brother… IVC existed 4,500 years ago. Pakistan existed in 1947. This logic is insane”

They referenced ancient heritage like the Vedic uttariya garment and Indus Valley dress traditions that long predate modern political boundaries.

Community notes call for calm

As the debate escalated into pointed insults and nationalist jabs, reflecting ongoing India-Pakistan tensions, some users, including those participating in platform “community notes,” reminded everyone that the dupatta is a shared cultural element developed across South Asia long before partition.

Despite the humor and heated claims, many called the conflict absurd: a historic garment turning into a geopolitical argument, all over a celebrity’s elegant outfit.