Unfortunately, WHITE is still the gold standard for beauty – even here in India. So, everytime you see a Katrina Kaif or Kareena Kapoor act on screen, you will have male audiences fawning over them ten times more than they’d for say, a Deepika Padukone or Sameera Reddy. When I was in college (in New Delhi), I would see that White-skinned females were a rarity and they would get maximum male attention. Even though there are tonnes of dark-skinned or dusky women who actually have better features, shape and more pleasing personality.

Dusky women are highly under-represented in the modelling world, in the matrimonials section of the Times of India. Every time you want a ’saintly’ looking woman, an angel that you want to show to your Mother, you have to pick a fair as snow bride!!

That’s how colour conscious most Indians are – WHITE is RIGHT in this country. Why would so many fairness creams sell in this country? Now, you even have fairness creams for MEN – that’s how pathetic it has got.

Mark my words, if you’re a dark-skinned or dusky individual (male/female) who happens to be VERY ATTRACTIVE, you will still face discrimination on account of your skin colour at some point of time. I lived in the US for two years and it was clearly evident everywhere. Even though people in that country are not openly racist anymore, the man on the street would want to associate with you based on your skin tone. I happened to be too dark for them whereas my friend who is a Sindhi could pass for an American!!!

Dark skinned individuals are also hampered by the designation of dusky skin as something sultry, seductive and sensual by the media. It’s like each time you see a dusky woman on screen, you only associate her with sex. Whereas a White-skinned woman could carry off an angelic image with rousing approval from the audience.

As the perpetual victim of a colour-conscious world and extending my empathy to all dusky-skinned attractive individuals who face unwanted discrimination despite having such a beautiful skin tone, I declare this rant over!