Veteran Indian fashion designer Ritu Kumar is facing heavy criticism online after claiming she invented the word “zardozi.” She remarked on The Masoom Minawala Show, saying that back in the 1980s, she combined the Persian words “zar” and “dozi” for an exhibition because no suitable name existed at the time, and that the term later became widely used.
Her claim quickly drew backlash from social media users who pointed out that “zardozi” is actually centuries old. Many explained that the word comes from Persian, with “zar” meaning gold and “dozi” meaning embroidery or stitching. Zardozi is known as one of the world’s oldest and most valuable embroidery techniques, believed to have originated in Persia thousands of years ago before spreading to India through Central Asia.
Several commenters also gave historical context, mentioning that the term may date back to the Delhi Sultanate era in the 14th century and that it appears in old Persian texts as well as later writings on Indian textiles. Critics said the craft flourished further during the Mughal period.
Many users expressed disappointment, saying well-known designers should be careful about spreading inaccurate claims that could confuse people about the history of Indian textiles. The podcast host was also criticised for not fact-checking the claim before the episode was shared publicly. The controversy continues to spread across social media platforms.
