India, Aug. 7 -- With a growing collection of handwoven sarees of her own, actor Rasika Dugal's love affair with Indian handloom goes way back. On National Handloom Day today, she recalls, "I was always drawn to handwoven fabric. I wore so much handloom during my time at Delhi University as I loved the textures, colours and comfort; and it was cool to do so." The actor tells us that the skill and effort dedicated to the craft of weaving is what hooked her in. "The act of hand weaving is such a precise skill. The first time I saw a saree being woven was when I visited a family of Patola weavers while in Gujarat for a shoot. I was moved by the attention to detail and the skill," she says, adding, "The more I discovered handloom, the more I fell in love with it." For Rasika, textile shopping is a core memory from her childhood. "You haven't grown up in India if you haven't heard women in your family talk about sarees and weaves. Visiting another city was often marked by buying the kapda it was known for, while a diverse saree collection was a matter of envy and pride," she shares. There's also an emotional aspect to it: "A saree almost always came with a story about how someone saved up for a Kanjeevaram or how a Patola or a Pochampali had been in their family for years." Reflecting on the versatile nature of handloom, the 40-year-old shares, "I wore my mother's sari for my wedding and it felt so special. Traditional weaves are great for character work, too." As she signs off, Rasika says, "Handloom tells the stories of people who weave it, the communities it sustains and the traditions it keeps alive. That's why I wear traditional weaves when I travel to international film festivals."...