no offense to you but this topic has been discussed to death.

A lot of Indians buy "Skin lightening" creams, which I believe is one of the biggest cosmetic industries in India. Why is this? Indians are naturally a brownish color (most). I just find it ironic that a lot of caucasian people tan whereas a lot of Indian people are told to avoid the sun to stay a fairer color.

I'm a more fair-skinned Indian and all it's brought me is alienation from other Indian boys at my school (to a degree). When Indians figure out that I'm Indian (usually after finding out my name) assume that I'm half Indian because of my lighter than average skin, and Light eyes. (At one point a man was talking to his wife -- they had both moved here to Canada from Pakistan a short while ago, and he'd said something about me being a 'halfbreed' as he put it. )

I have few Indian friends because of this too, since all other Indians at my school have darker skin (which I really think looks good.) They're not mean to me or anything, they just ignore me. In any case though, why is this seen as such an important thing in India? My -GRANDMA- still boasts about how light her skin is, and she always talks about how I was so much lighter when I was younger (I was really pale.. it was unnatural. Now I'm kind of a really light tan).

I've heard of it relating to theories of White superiority.. anyone care to help me understand that?

true but

when i post about this, they called me racist in here

My -GRANDMA- still boasts about how light her skin is, and she always talks about how I was so much lighter when I was younger (I was really pale.. it was unnatural. Now I'm kind of a really light tan).

Sorry- But that is a lame comment coming from ur GRANNY.

Y would she think been fair makes her extra special? what a joke

She at her age, out of all people should be setting an example for u and for others.

There is no white superiority we are all people, if u cut us we will all bleed the same colour blood.

LOL. Well fair skin was more important before in the older days than it is now (wasnt it?). She just plays off of that I guess. It's a mindset but I'm just curious as to why it is that way.

I know there isn't white superiority, I'm just questioning as to why so many Indians strive to be Fair.

Well, I think the reason is because, since the most richest and so-called powerful countries of this world has mostly European descendants, therefore people want some of that power- so they want their kids to look that way, because the feel that their kids would have more dominance in this world.
So a lot might prefer marry a fair skin person, or feel if they are fair themselves then they would have an easier life.
So perhaps that’s the reason they bleach their skin. It’s not just in India, but people all over the world are constantly been influence by the media as to what is beautiful.

Ah. That's really sad then because all skin shades actually are beautiful.
And I've heard of it happening often in Africa too. Something about people using Mercury to lighten their skin? =\ (this was a LONG time ago so I could totally be off track about this)

Give me a fu-king break, most Indians don't strive to be fair. Some lighten there skin, having pale skin doesn't make you white. As far most Indians not have light eyes, well Bollywood is generally a north Indian fill Industy. The are quite a few of them that have light eyes. If you aren't indian, then you'd be generalising something you don't know about, it's an outsider perspective. You wouldn't know what most Indians look like. Plus most of bollywood is run by family connection.

Give me a fu-king break, most Indians don't strive to be fair. Some lighten there skin, having pale skin doesn't make you white. As far most Indians not have light eyes, well Bollywood is generally a north Indian fill Industy. The are quite a few of them that have light eyes. If you aren't indian, then you'd be generalising something you don't know about, it's an outsider perspective. You wouldn't know what most Indians look like. Plus most of bollywood is run by family connection.

Listen. I never said most N. Indians have light eyes, I said quite a few do. And bollywood is run by family connections, this stars are related to the founders of the industry. Most Bollywood stars are various shades of brown, like Indian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bollywood_film_clans

You're not indian, so you opinion is moot. If you have a problem, stop watching them. And stop worrying about Indians in general, people can have a preference in looks, without being racist. Rap videos have the same gimmick of putting yellow skanks in them to sell their trashy music.
To the original poster. This is a post that was posted somewhere else where this topic was discussed.
CONCEPT OF BEAUTY:

The concept of beauty in India isn't limited to light skin. Light skinned is preferred in Actresses in Bollywood(only one of India's film industries). But most Bollywood stars are various shades of brown, men and women. In North India, there is a significant minority of naturally light/pale skinned people. So the ideal look for North Indians is generally fair skin, light/brown eyes, dark hair. This look isn't uncommon in alot of areas in North India. Bollywood reflects that. Those people may be the epitome of beauty for some Indians, but not most. Less than 3% of Indians, in India, use skin ligtening cream. So if you're good at math you can figure out that the overwhelming majority, 97%, are happy with there skin color.

Still, on the top of beauty, most culture at one point in history have valued beauty as something exotic or rare. For India, light skin is somewhat rare. It is valued as beautiful and something unique. But skin color alone isn't seen as beautiful, the person would have to have a proportionate face. There are plenty of unattractive light skinned people in the world.

BOLLYWOOD AND OTHER INDIAN CINEMAS

North India is very diverse and Bollywood Stars reflect that. There is no one Indian look.

1) Bollywood is representative of NORTH INDIANS. The others such as bengalis, south indian tamils and
malayalees have their own regional cinema. People in the South of India don't even watch Hindi things with as much fervour as was demonstrated by the last season of Indian Idol where the most talented singer Karunya from the South lost out to Rajasthani Sandeep Acharya because of the lack of voters(and viewers) from the Southern states. This is why not a SINGLE actor/actress working in the southern movie industries has light eyes. You can look at these websites for proof.

http://www.idlebrain.com/movie/photogallery/index.html

http://www.totaltollywood.com/

"Bollywood and the other major cinematic hubs (Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada)
constitute the broader Indian film industry, whose output is the largest in the world in terms of number of films produced and in number of tickets sold"

2) Bollywood is aimed at the Indians living in the states of the North such as Punjab, Rajasthan, Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, UP, Gujarat and Bihar and also Maharashtra but that is a western Indian state technically.
Bihar has also been classified by some people as being an eastern state rather than northern. UP-ites also have their bhojpuri cinema and Maharashtrians have Marathi cinema. Most people who come into bollywood have families in the business. Most of these families have historically been punjabis of the Khatri caste(Kshatriyas who are now said to have the most Aryan blood out of the four castes even more so than the Brahmins which makes sense since Kshatriyas are the warriors). The Roshans(Hrithik), the Khans who have ancestors in Afghanistan(feroz khan, fardeen khan), The Kapoors, the Kumars etc. all have roots in Punjab, Afghanistan and/or the region that used to be part of Pakistan and they are all Khatris or Pashtuns. This could be because Bollywood used to be based in Lahore before Partition.

Fair Skin and Rich Indians and High Caste [royal]


This should be fun. Ok. Firstly, you don't have to be high caste to be rich, and you don't have to be low caste to be poor. Rich Indians on the Billionaire list, come from average families, they are rarely "Brahmin". Rich Indians marry, most of the time, other rich Indians. Rich Bengalis marry rich Gujus, rich Punjabis marry rich Marathis etc. etc. Skin color is not an issue, 9 out of 10 times these "Rich Indians" are brown.

Fair skin is seen as a "selling" point, in marriage, for poorer or middle class Indians, they don't have money or financial security to offer (like
richer Indians). So they promote "beauty", or looks instead, as a selling point. This applies for women mostly. This is why indian
matrimonials, under the women's section, list "Fair" when descibing their looks.

As far as "Indians wanting to be white". Having lighter skin, or pale skin doesn't make you white. East Asian have paler skin then some Europeans. And some Europeans are darker than Asian, and they're still "white". Skin color doesn't define you race.

The Indian diaspora in the West, 9 times out of 10, marry other Indians. People like to exaggerate the, "fair skin obsession", stereotype. If this were true, then obviously there would be high levels of intermarriage. Comparable to the percentage of East Asians, who marry whites.

Give me a fu-king break, most Indians don't strive to be fair. Some lighten there skin, having pale skin doesn't make you white. As far most Indians not have light eyes, well Bollywood is generally a north Indian fill Industy. The are quite a few of them that have light eyes. If you aren't indian, then you'd be generalising something you don't know about, it's an outsider perspective. You wouldn't know what most Indians look like. Plus most of bollywood is run by family connection.

I've seen some darker actresses in Bollywood, but not ones that are actually dark. Kajol and Bipasha Basu are like.. a little bit brown, I think their skin color is actually quite a light brown.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4396122.stm << That one is about how men are becoming more insecure about darker skin in India. I'm too lazy about finding the female one but just google "Fair skin India" and it's everywhere.

I know that most Indians don't have light eyes, or light skin. Some do though and what the topic was stating was just why a lot of Indians want lighter skin. That's all.

I've seen some darker actresses in Bollywood, but not ones that are actually dark. Kajol and Bipasha Basu are like.. a little bit brown, I think their skin color is actually quite a light brown.

right

NoAnger, I doubt you are indian. Pretty much all your post have been bashing indians. Either way read, my post above to clear up you misconception. And try to contribute intellectual conversation, instead of repeating the same thing.

NoAnger, I doubt you are indian. Pretty much all your post have been bashing indians. Either way read, my post above to clear up you misconception. And try to contribute intellectual conversation, instead of repeating the same thing.
you are a pathetic troll.

ok there are are some Indians who have light brown skin and some dark brown skin but their still all BROWN! get over it and there are more dark brown skinned ppl in India so they represent us ok, like in Sweden there are heeps more blonde's then there are brunets so the blonde's so when ppl think of Sweden they usaly think of blondes and they think of indian they think of brown ppl! not the small ratio of ppl who have really light skin (but still brown) with coloured eyes. Brown ppl! Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown you all Brown!

NoAnger, I doubt you are indian. Pretty much all your post have been bashing indians. Either way read, my post above to clear up you misconception. And try to contribute intellectual conversation, instead of repeating the same thing.

these actors/actress are brown, whether they're light, medium or dark. what's you point? now people complain they aren't dark enough. Medium brown is still brown

Sameera Reddy, Bipasa Basu, Koena Mitra, they are not light brown. Maybe you can't see color correctly.

ok there are are some Indians who have light brown skin and some dark brown skin but their still all BROWN! get over it and there are more dark brown skinned ppl in India so they represent us ok, like in Sweden there are heeps more blonde's then there are brunets so the blonde's so when ppl think of Sweden they usaly think of blondes and they think of indian they think of brown ppl! not the small ratio of ppl who have really light skin (but still brown) with coloured eyes. Brown ppl! Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown you all Brown!

BOLLYWOOD AND OTHER INDIAN CINEMAS

North India is very diverse and Bollywood Stars reflect that. There is no one Indian look.

1) Bollywood is representative of NORTH INDIANS. The others such as bengalis, south indian tamils and
malayalees have their own regional cinema. People in the South of India don't even watch Hindi things with as much fervour as was demonstrated by the last season of Indian Idol where the most talented singer Karunya from the South lost out to Rajasthani Sandeep Acharya because of the lack of voters(and viewers) from the Southern states. This is why not a SINGLE actor/actress working in the southern movie industries has light eyes. You can look at these websites for proof.

http://www.idlebrain.com/movie/photogallery/index.html

http://www.totaltollywood.com/

"Bollywood and the other major cinematic hubs (Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada)
constitute the broader Indian film industry, whose output is the largest in the world in terms of number of films produced and in number of tickets sold"

2) Bollywood is aimed at the Indians living in the states of the North such as Punjab, Rajasthan, Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, UP, Gujarat and Bihar and also Maharashtra but that is a western Indian state technically.
Bihar has also been classified by some people as being an eastern state rather than northern. UP-ites also have their bhojpuri cinema and Maharashtrians have Marathi cinema. Most people who come into bollywood have families in the business. Most of these families have historically been punjabis of the Khatri caste(Kshatriyas who are now said to have the most Aryan blood out of the four castes even more so than the Brahmins which makes sense since Kshatriyas are the warriors). The Roshans(Hrithik), the Khans who have ancestors in Afghanistan(feroz khan, fardeen khan), The Kapoors, the Kumars etc. all have roots in Punjab, Afghanistan and/or the region that used to be part of Pakistan and they are all Khatris or Pashtuns. This could be because Bollywood used to be based in Lahore before Partition.

I am an Indian, and I am damn proud of it too.
Are you suggesting I'm not an Indian because I have something to say that doesen't simply fit into your mold of discussion? =\

I read your post, and I appreciate it. It did clear up some things for me and I thank you for that. However the more I search it up on the internet, the more dominant the "Skin Whitening" industry seems to me.

Um.. I haven't intended to bash Indians at all. Why would I bash Indians if I was one? =\. Could you give me examples of "Indian Bashing" ?

NoAnger about the indian actresses not being brown enough. there skin color represents N. Indians quite well

these actors/actress are brown, whether they're light, medium or dark. what's you point? now people complain they aren't dark enough. Medium brown is still brown

Sameera Reddy, Bipasa Basu, Koena Mitra, they are not light brown. Maybe you can't see color correctly.

No hard feelings

I agree that they represent North Indians well.

Not all of them are medium brown though. Some of them either have makeup caked on to look pale or are just naturally pale. Not that being pale is bad but having only one type of skin shade in movies makes it less diverse and gives a morphed image of beauty.

When I google Bipasa Basu all of her pictures are tanned/light golden brown looking. =\... And I haven't heard of some of those actors either so I guess that's why I wouldn't know either, my fault on that part.

Glad there are no hard feelings.

Get off India chat Grizzle Bear. Go find some reel friends to play with. I thought you were gonna go eat? Slob.

Mona:




Good luck finding a mate.

jennypeg -- After reading the edited-in quote of your last reply I understand more. It kind of just hit me that South India has its own cinema that relates more to them as well. Sorry about that.

telling me to get on india chat proves that u are racist
grizzle bear?
what r u 2?

u don't need to wish me luck cause if u wish someone luck
then it will be bad luck
that pic is abit funny but everyone in here already seen it

ur a racist

MONA SLUT:

Get off India chat Grizzle Bear. Go find some reel friends to play with. I thought you were gonna go eat? Slob.

Mona:




Good luck finding a mate.

No problem.
I'm not a racist moron. I just hate people like you. You act like you "care" about indians or you're providing some sorta charity by befriending "indians". Then all you do is whine and b!tch about everything that we should "change". Just to let you know, you're not important. No Indian will ever give two cent about you. Your not even Asian, this is an asian forum. YOU A LOSER.!

You don’t even know me

I am partly Asian(next ur gonna say i'm not).

There are tones of non-Asians on here..anyway

Now u seem to be getting political about all kinds of things
Which you’re obviously ignorant about.

lol (no Indian will give two cent to me?)Did I ask for any money from anyone ? Have u gone mad? Read ur post.

yes u are racist it’s obvious from ur post

Call me whatever u want since ur hate is so deep for me, whom u don’t even know.
I really pity u.

I just hate people like you. You act like you "care" about indians or you're providing some sorta charity by befriending "indians".

I think a good chunk of hindi movie actresses are brown as hell. I remember watching Big Brother and Shilpa Shetty was applying bleach to her face to make her self look light skinned. She didn't seem to be embarrased by it, but was applying it as if it was business as usual.

This leads me to believe that a fair number of hindi actresses are a lot more darker than they seem.

get a like. and quit chasing indian men.

I think a good chunk of hindi movie actresses are brown as hell. I remember watching Big Brother and Shilpa Shetty was applying bleach to her face to make her self look light skinned. She didn't seem to be embarrased by it, but was applying it as if it was business as usual.

This leads me to believe that a fair number of hindi actresses are a lot more darker than they seem.

Nimbus:
the majority of north indians are not light skin, quite a few are. i said this 5 times, this is not rocket science. and the majority of south indian actors are dark.

And the majority of bollywood actors are brown, of various shades.

Listen. I never said most N. Indians have light eyes, I said quite a few do. And bollywood is run by family connections, these stars are related to the founders of the industry. Most Bollywood stars are various shades of brown, like Indian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bollywood_film_clans



The concept of beauty in India isn't limited to light skin. Light skinned is preferred in Actresses in Bollywood(only one of India's film industries). But most Bollywood stars are various shades of brown, men and women. In North India, there is a significant minority of naturally light/pale skinned people. So the ideal look for North Indians is generally fair skin, light/brown eyes, dark hair. This look isn't uncommon in alot of areas in North India. Bollywood reflects that. Those people may be the epitome of beauty for some Indians, but not most. Less than 3% of Indians, in India, use skin ligtening cream. So if you're good at math you can figure out that the overwhelming majority, 97%, are happy with there skin color.

Still, on the top of beauty, most culture at one point in history have valued beauty as something exotic or rare. For India, light skin is somewhat rare. It is valued as beautiful and something unique. But skin color alone isn't seen as beautiful, the person would have to have a proportionate face. There are plenty of unattractive light skinned people in the world.

BOLLYWOOD AND OTHER INDIAN CINEMAS

North India is very diverse and Bollywood Stars reflect that. There is no one Indian look.

1) Bollywood is representative of NORTH INDIANS. The others such as bengalis, south indian tamils and
malayalees have their own regional cinema. People in the South of India don't even watch Hindi things with as much fervour as was demonstrated by the last season of Indian Idol where the most talented singer Karunya from the South lost out to Rajasthani Sandeep Acharya because of the lack of voters(and viewers) from the Southern states. This is why not a SINGLE actor/actress working in the southern movie industries has light eyes. You can look at these websites for proof.

http://www.idlebrain.com/movie/photogallery/index.html

http://www.totaltollywood.com/

"Bollywood and the other major cinematic hubs (Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada)
constitute the broader Indian film industry, whose output is the largest in the world in terms of number of films produced and in number of tickets sold"

2) Bollywood is aimed at the Indians living in the states of the North such as Punjab, Rajasthan, Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, UP, Gujarat and Bihar and also Maharashtra but that is a western Indian state technically.
Bihar has also been classified by some people as being an eastern state rather than northern. UP-ites also have their bhojpuri cinema and Maharashtrians have Marathi cinema. Most people who come into bollywood have families in the business. Most of these families have historically been punjabis of the Khatri caste(Kshatriyas who are now said to have the most Aryan blood out of the four castes even more so than the Brahmins which makes sense since Kshatriyas are the warriors). The Roshans(Hrithik), the Khans who have ancestors in Afghanistan(feroz khan, fardeen khan), The Kapoors, the Kumars etc. all have roots in Punjab, Afghanistan and/or the region that used to be part of Pakistan and they are all Khatris or Pashtuns. This could be because Bollywood used to be based in Lahore before Partition.

Fair Skin and Rich Indians and High Caste


This should be fun. Ok. Firstly, you don't have to be high caste to be rich, and you don't have to be low caste to be poor. Rich Indians on the Billionaire list, come from average families, they are rarely "Brahmin". Rich Indians marry, most of the time, other rich Indians. Rich Bengalis marry rich Gujus, rich Punjabis marry rich Marathis etc. etc. Skin color is not an issue, 9 out of 10 times these "Rich Indians" are brown.

Fair skin is seen as a "selling" point, in marriage, for poorer or middle class Indians, they don't have money or financial security to offer (like
richer Indians). So they promote "beauty", or looks instead, as a selling point. This applies for women mostly. This is why indian
matrimonials, under the women's section, list "Fair" when descibing their looks.

As far as "Indians wanting to be white". Having lighter skin, or pale skin doesn't make you white. East Asian have paler skin then some Europeans. And some Europeans are darker than Asian, and they're still "white". Skin color doesn't define you race.

The Indian diaspora in the West, 9 times out of 10, marry other Indians. People like to exaggerate the, "fair skin obsession", stereotype. If this were true, then obviously there would be high levels of intermarriage. Comparable to the percentage of East Asians, who marry whites.

how how u know its bleach