Malavika feels skin colour should be ‘inconsequential’

It is ridiculous that there are products that focus on how to be fair. We need to have a conversation about this dated notion... MALAVIKA MOHANAN ACTOR

While we speak about global racism, we must also become aware about what’s happening around us… and do our part in thwarting the obvious as well as the subtle racism and colourism that exists all around us…,” wrote Malavika Mohanan in an Instagram post, triggered by the US protests and the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Talking about the thought behind the post, the Beyond the Clouds (2017) actor says, “Change should start from your own home, and these protests got me thinking that we need this change in India, too. People with dark complexion are called ugly, dark-skinned women find it difficult to get married... Barring a few metropolitan cities, where it isn’t ‘that’ looked down upon, colourism is prevalent in the rest of our country.”

Casual racism and colourism thrive in our own society feels the 26-year-old, who also wrote, “Calling a dark skinned person ‘kala’ is something we see on an everyday basis… Dark skinned Indians are jokingly referred to as ‘madrasis’… North-East Indians are almost exclusively only called ‘chinki’, all black people are casually referred to as ‘negros’.”

And criticising this practice, she posted, “What makes you beautiful is being a good and kind person, and not the colour of your skin.”

“Why is skin colour more important than intelligence, kindness or talent? It never made sense to me. It never bothered me if people felt I wasn’t fair enough, as my upbringing gave me confidence. It is ridiculous that there are products that focus on how to be fair. We need to have a conversation about this dated notion that only if you are fair will you be beautiful or successful. Skin colour is an inconsequential thing to define someone,” she concludes.