Exclusive/ Kohli's responsibility...: Influencer barred at cricketer's restaurant for wearing veshti speaks up

Ramanathan Asokan, freestyle Tamil rapper, singer-songwriter and motivational speaker, recently shared an incident on social media mentioning how he was denied entry at Virat Kohli-owned One8commune in Mumbai. The restaurant has chains in Pune, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai and is a hotspot among food lovers. However, Asokan's visit to one of the most popular joints in Mumbai turned out to be a rather bad experience.

Ramanathan Asokan recalls what happened at One8commune in Mumbai

Asokan shared that he travelled from Chennai to Mumbai to visit Virat Kohli's restaurant One8commune. However, it turned out to be one of the "worst days of his life" as he was denied entry there because of his traditional outfit.  

"Me and my friend, we landed in Mumbai on Thursday and went to One8commune, which is Mr Virat Kohli's restaurant. There was a woman at the reception who stopped us and said that my attire was not appropriate for entering the establishment," Asokan narrated.

He further said that veshti, a traditional dhoti, is something he wears everywhere. He said he could not comprehend why was he disallowed from entering the venue because of it. "I told them that I am a Tamilian and I take pride in my culture and I wear veshti to all places. But she said that there was a dress code and need to follow it. After making me wait for 2-3 minutes she asked me about my footwear. I told her it is Adidas shoes and they covered my feet fully. I told her that we are big fans of Virat Kohli sir and we have come from Chennai to eat at his restaurant. But she did not allow us," Asokan shared.

'It was a very bad day in my life'

Asokan further said that foreign tourists and some elderly were allowed inside the venue but not him. This, he said, left him heartbroken. "Soon after us there was an elderly couple who were allowed inside. They were wearing denim and a shirt. Several foreigners were also allowed in but not me. It was a very bad day in my life," he said.

Asked if there was a listed dress code at the venue, Asokan confirmed there wasn't any. He said he saw it as an insult and immediately posted about it on social media. The video he shared from outside One8commune restaurant in Mumbai has gone viral on social media, with many engaging in conversations about whether or not it was right to deny Asokan entry inside the venue. Some even narrated their encounters in the comments section.  

"There was no dress code listed as such. I may be a Tamilian but we are all Indians. I see it as an insult. It is my culture and I take pride in it. I am a singer-songwriter and a motivational singer. I wear veshti everywhere and to be denied entry based on my attire was not right. They were allowing everyone and not me. I was very hurt," he recounted.  

Asokan says he does not want an apology but...

Asokan said that he has faced such incidents in the past as well outside of his home state but this in particular has hurt him. He called upon Virat Kohli to make sure nothing of the sort was happening at his establishment.  

"It is his (Virat Kohli) responsibility to make sure nothing of this sort happens again. I am not looking for an apology from him but this incident made me feel bad. I was shocked at how I was treated and I hope nobody feels the way I do after being turned down from the restaurant," he concluded.