Unlike 2010's visit, Michelle Obama goes quiet this year

NEW DELHI: In 2010, the First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) on her first visit to India danced her way into newspaper headlines.

But in 2015, as Barack Obama engaged in a high voltage summit with Narendra Modi, the same Michelle Obama has maintained an uncharacteristically muted presence. What gives? During the Republic Day parade, she quietly sat through the performance, occasionally perking up at one tableau or another, as husband Barack chomped on nicotine gum, nodding to the beat.

At the President's At Home reception in the afternoon, Michelle, dressed in an exquisite embroidered jacket and skirt, sat chatting with Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur.

But the joie de vivre that marked her appearance in 2010 was missing. The US government had clarified earlier that Michelle would not have any separate engagements, which, in itself, was unusual. India is always great for shopping and first ladies have generally worked the NGO routine.

On Sunday, Michelle stepped off Air Force One at Palam wearing a designer outfit, which set commentators in India and US gushing.

In the evening, she appeared yet again in a Bibhu Mohapatra dress. It left the fashionistas divided, some of them even claiming she missed the mark. Barack himself dispensed with the black tie and even declared he wanted to wear a Modi kurta.

But during the day, Michelle was conspicuous by her absence at the ceremonial welcome for Obama at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. She was also not seen with her husband at Rajghat which she had visited the last time.

Officials said she was "resting" in the hotel, but this is a woman known to be physically fit and almost always keen to engage with other people and cultures.

In fact, in two and half days, Michelle's only contribution has been as a fashion hanger armed with a winning smile.

The Obamas will not travel to Agra on Tuesday, and miss the opportunity for the world's most romantic photo-op in front of the Taj Mahal. Instead, Obama will travel to Saudi Arabia to mourn the dead king, where Michelle is likely to find even less to do.