Fair and Lovely: Bipasha Basu wrote on the post, people used to ask- ‘She is quite dark-black isn’t she?’

Hindustan Unilever Company has announced the removal of the word Fair from its product Fair and Lovely. The company has also applied for a new name, but has not been approved yet. This move of the company has been welcomed by the people. Meanwhile, Bollywood actress Vipasha Basu has shared a post on her Instagram in which she has shared her experience about solitude and what she has endured since childhood.

Bipasha wrote, ‘When I was growing up, I grew up hearing that’ Bonnie is darker than Sony, she is quite dark-gray, isn’t she? ‘ However my mother was dark and beautiful and I look very much like her. But I could never understand why when I was a child, my relatives used to have these discussions about body color? ‘.

‘Soon I started modeling at the age of 15/16 and I won the Supermodel Contest. It was written in all newspapers, the dark girl of Kolkata won this title. I then wonder why my dark color is seen first? Then I went to New York and Paris for modeling work, and there I realized that my skin color was quite different there, due to which I got a lot of work and got more attention. Then when I came back to India, I started getting offers for films. And finally my first film was released ‘Stranger’. I got a lot of love Everyone accepted and loved me. But my color was still the first Adjunctive that the girl in color (DUSKY) surprised people by making her debut in films.

After this, in most of the articles, my solidity was discussed, it was also linked to my sex appeal .. And gradually this thing was accepted on a large scale in Bollywood. Although I never understood this, because according to me, being sexy is a personality, it is not just the color of your skin. At that time, there were very strong ideas about beauty, how an actress should look and behave, at that time I was kept very different. However, all this never stopped me from doing what I wanted to do ‘.

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From the time I was growing up I heard this always,”Bonnie is darker than Soni.She is little dusky na?“Even though my mother is a dusky beauty and I look a lot like her.I never knew why that would be a discussion by distant relatives when I was a kid. Soon at 15/ 16 I started modelling and then I won the supermodel contest … all newspapers read … dusky girl from Kolkata is the winner.I wondered again why Dusky is my first adjective ??? Then I went to New York and Paris to work as a model and I realised my skin colour was exotic there and I got more work and attention because of it. Another discovery of mine:) Once I came back into India and film offers started… and finally I did my first film and from an absolute Ajnabee to Hindi film industry …I suddenly was accepted and loved. But the adjective stayed which I started liking and loving by then.DUSKY girl wows the audiences in her debut film. In most of my articles for all the work I did,my duskiness seemed to be the main discussion.. it attributed to my sex appeal apparently.And sexy in Bollywood started getting accepted widely.I never really understood this… To me sexy is the personality not just the colour of your skin…why my skin colour only sets me apart from the conventional actresses at that time.But that’s the way it was.I didn’t really see much of difference but I guess people did.There was a strong mindset of Beauty and how an actress should look and behave.I was DIFFERENT as it was pointed out. Didn’t really stop me from being and doing all that I loved. Well you see I was confident and proud of who I was from childhood.My skin colour didn’t define me … even though I love it and wouldn’t want it to be any different ever. Many skin care endorsements with loads of money was offered to me in the last 18 years ( some were very tempting)… but I stuck to my principle always. All this needs to stop. This wrong dream that we are selling … that only fair is lovely and beautiful when the majority of the country is brown skinned. It’s a deep rooted stigma. It’s a mammoth step from the brand… and other brands should follow in the same footsteps soon?

A post shared by bipashabasusinghgrover (@bipashabasu) on Jun 25, 2020 at 8:32pm PDT