How fair are you?

Recently actress Chitrangada Singh turned down an offer to endorse a fairness cream. Singh was offered a lucrative sum to lend her face to the product, but the actress politely reclined it saying, "I am happy the way I am. I love my skin colour. I am dusky and truly Indian. The bias against dark complexion is unfair. I don't think changing your colour changes the person you are."

Precisely my point. But it's abysmally dismaying that most Bollywood stars don't see it. And why only stars? Most Indians don't yet get this! I forgive the screen gods. After all, you can't expect most of them to take moral stands when the money is good. But what about educated, upper middle class families who encourage their 'dark skinned' daughters to slather on these creams that promise a 'brighter future' and even high success rates at interviews that lead to well paying jobs?

What about educated families who encourage their 'dark skinned' daughters to slather on these creams that promise a 'brighter future'

Are we so passive as a nation? Is it so easy to sell us just about anything? The other day I was at a friend's place. Let's call her Fair for the purpose of this article. Also because she is extraordinarily fair by Indian standards. And she's hugely affected by the fact that her elder daughter hasn't taken after her, at least, as far as complexion goes. The daughter's an all rounder, a class topper and great company. But nothing of that matters, for she's 'quite dark.'

So Fair actually goes to the extent of suggesting, before a room full of people, that she wear lighter colours, as red oru00a0 fuschia won't suit her tone. I love my friend, but I'm not sure if I respect her.u00a0 And there are plenty more on that list. Including certain family members (thankfully my parents have always been above such trivialities). Relatives would sigh heavily as they wondered why I didn't inherit my dad's luminous complexion.

Some would recommend besan and milk for a fair glow. The rest would suggest lightening creams. All this to someone who's just wheatish, not even dark. I can't imagine the frenzied paranoia that would have ensued amongst my well meaning relatives had I been a couple of shades darker. The phrase 'black sheep of the family' would have taken on a whole new meaning.

I could go on about this and even discuss the harmful effects of fairness creams. But google will give it to you anyway. Besides. time is running out. And my photographer is offering to erase the blemishes of my skin from the picture that will accompany this column. All I can tell him is, 'Jaane do yaar."

Piali Dasgupta is Features Editor, Mid Day, Bangalore