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Skin Color In India

Skin Color In India

Is it true that there is an obsession with fair skin in India? I made a search in Google and I found lots of web sites, articles and forums talking about this issue. The sale of fairness cream makes millions every year in India and the advertisements on newspaper and television seem to always go around skin color. Based on my little search, even the darkest Indian would not openly consider himself/herself as such.

What's their obsession about being "fair" anyway?

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I wouldn't call it an "obsession". Beauty is equated with fair skin in some quarters, especially southern India where darker skin is predominant among people. Up north, nobody cares. Mostly because people have lighter skin to start with.

A bunch of top models in India are women with darker skin and a clutch of Actresses too. Why there aren't more is because of the geographical location of top entertainment centres rather than any "racial" bent of mind within the population. Bombay and Delhi are supposed to be the "mainstream" modelling/acting centres and most models who go up through the ranks tend to be lighter skinned because of the local talent pool the agencies draw from.

These models and actresses go on to the national scene and there comes the mindset of "fairer is beautiful", not from any desire to actually turn into snow white AKA western women.

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I know in Trinidad, where half the population is of East Indian descent, this is a very big issue. I have heard many Indian men / women tell me that they are looking for somebody fair. Of course I mention to them that not everything is about color and refer them to darker toned people that in my mind are more beautiful and successful, but it does not appeal to them. I began to wonder if it is a cultural thing. According to you it is not. I am curious though, do people from India consider themselves 'white' as in caucasian or 'tan' or 'brown' or what have you? How do they class themselves? For instance in England, where I used to live, all Indians regardless to how fair they may look are considered 'Black' period.

India Color Skin

I have seen many Indian films. The main role is ALWAYS given to a "fair" almost "european" looking Indian. I have never seen a dark skin actress in a main role. As a matter of fact, the dark skin actresses on those movies are always portrait as: maids, evil ones or "easy" women. I am not in India but I do feel strongly that it has to do a lot with what Indians may consider beautiful (fair skin) than just a geographical location issue. If not, consider the amount of money Indians spend in fairness creams, advertisements of women looking for marriage and most people who are the "open" face of India (actresses, journalists, etc)

JB@Trinidad said:

I have never met an Indian who consider himself/herself "dark". They said all types of adjectives but not the word "dark".

India Color Skin

Not exactly my place to speak, since I dont' know much about it, but I agree it might be just a "more beautiful" thing. People from the countries with hot climate find it more in style not to be suntanned (just think of Cleopatra with her milk baths and all those face rubs she used to whitenen her skin) while people from colder country would agree on three years without dessert but with a nice sun tan. Our girls spend half of their waking time in tan places or whatever they are called.

EDIT: Here they are called solariums *shrugs*

Edited: Klausse on 26th Feb, 2006 - 1:28pm

Skin Color In India

I know a lot of Indians and the ones in Malaysia and India tend to prefer partners of a similar or lighter skin colour. This definitely happens in North India where it is almost a crime to marry a Tamil or someone of dark skin! Of course not all Indians think like that and I can't explain why this is the case.

Maybe lighter skinned people give the perception of appearing more wealthy or exotic? Ok, maybe that is the silliest theory I have come up with for a long while!

Bollywood does also tend to prefer fair skinned actresses but I've noticed that the men can be dark. Talk about double standards! While we are on Bollywood, can I just say their actresses leave Hollywood for dead in the looks department.

Klausse, I 100 per cent agree with your assessment. I am shocked at how obsessed my Swedish partner is with having a sun tan. It's still thought of as a healthy and trendy thing to do. She will go to the beach just to tan herself. Australian's are a bit over the whole deliberate tan thing because we are skin cancer capital of the world. But I've noticed British people are also obsessed with with turning their milky white like legs into the coca cola variety.

Skin Color India

It is not silliest at all. Here in Trinidad, people assume when you are fair skinned that you have money! And the reason they reach that conclusion is because people who really are wealthy in the country are fair skinned. I am not sure if it is the same in India (I don't think so) but I find it to be a fascinating topic of discussion specially taking in consideration that most Indians would not refer themselves as "dark" even if they are.

Edited: LDS_forever on 28th Mar, 2006 - 1:36pm

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I remember when I was in high school in Trinidad (Naparima College for my Trini fellows) which has a high percentage of East Indians, the ones who were fair skinned always seem to be treated better than the ones who were darker. Even the teachers participated in such practices. I had friends of all different tones, in fact, my best friend was very dark skinned. This is not directly a perspective from India, because I have never been there, but a perspective of East Indians in general.