It's rare to see Mallika Sherawat covering up herself well enough, but here was a treat!

After making several appearances in gowns and revealing dresses with plunging necklines at international events, the actress chose to go completely desi on the first day of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and Awards.

She chose a subtle cream and gold sari for the inaugural press conference Thursday morning and teamed it with a simple blouse, instead of a sexy one.

In the evening, at the green carpet for the premiere of her film "Double Dhamaal", the "Hisss" girl was seen in a classic black and gold achkan-style kurta with pants, and carried the look with elan.

Why choose to suddenly look Indian?

"Kyun (Why)? You don't like it?" she shot back, and added: "I have worn a lot of dresses and gowns to the Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival. I was getting bored of them...So I decided it would be a good time for an Indian dose."

Well, one thing's for sure: Whether she is wears Indian or western, Mallika's spunk remains intact!