A viral video circulating on social media features a man, dressed in traditional veshti attire, claiming he was denied entry to Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune restaurant in Mumbai’s Juhu. The individual, whose identity remains unverified, narrates his experience, asserting that the restaurant staff prohibited him from entering due to his outfit.
According to the man, after checking into JW Marriott upon arriving in Mumbai, he promptly headed to One8 Commune’s Juhu branch. However, he alleges facing refusal at the restaurant’s entrance, citing a violation of the establishment’s dress code.
In the video, the man is seen wearing a white shirt and veshti, a traditional unstitched cloth wrap commonly worn in Tamil Nadu, prompting a debate on social media. Opinions vary, with some arguing that the denial is based on the restaurant’s dress code rather than cultural bias. Others express offense at the perceived discrimination.
One social media user defends the restaurant, stating, “It’s nothing against your culture… they have denied me entry in shorts and slippers because it’s their dress code which has to be followed to enter. Whether to have a code or not can be a topic of debate, but don’t make it a topic of ‘being against culture.’”
Addressing responsibility, another user notes, “Virat is not responsible for what happened; the staff present there at that time is responsible. This problem could have been solved by informing the manager there, but then how do you get reach on social media.”