Why I hardly watch Indian movies...........

Oh! Look controversial topic……..how exciting!!! It’s gonna be a long post and it might offend some people but seriously I don’t give a rats arse.

So let’s start ranting!!

I’ve been asked many times in my life, why as an Indian I avoid or rarely watch Indian movies, let it be bollywood or mollywood or whatever wood. Why ?  Oh Whyyyyyy?

Most of the time, before I could answer their question, they take the pleasure of making fun of me. The overused insult is “Do you think you are velai karuchi ?” (Do you think you are white girl) Usually when that snide brainless comment is thrown at my way, I know in my heart I rather just smile and ignore this person because in the end, nothing is going to change his or her head.  No matter what I say. Seriously!

So this post is dedicated to people who actually want to know why.  And before I begin, I wanna say thank you for taking your time to read this and listen to my answer J.

*To make it easier for me to write this, I gonna put all the Indian film industry (bollywood, mollywood…….) as Indian-wood it sounds porno but hey whatever as long as its easier  to write!

So It’s not like I’ve never watched Indian-wood before, I’ve watched Indian-wood plenty, but all that was when I was a lot younger when I actually liked what I was watching. So what changed my mind?

I have a few reasons but the main one is:………………It’s skin color people!

Did you notice (or pretend not to notice) that almost all the actress in Indian-wood today are light skinned. Now before you start throwing seven hellish evil comments at me. Just hear me out people.  Indians, we come in many different shades, am I right? It does not matter if you are from south or north or east or west side of India. The fact is, Indians in general we come in many beautiful shades of color. We range from the darkest chocolate brown to the almost pale white complexion. 

So why in the hell there are not many darker shade actresses in movies?

Now let’s just back track a little, back when I was younger, I remember watching many actress that had many range of skin tone color and they were all famous and beautiful.  Example actress Madhubala, Bhanu Priya, Rohini, Silk Smith, Raadhika, Sarita, Anu Hassan, Roja, Kajol, Rekha , Sharada, Navya nair…….just to name a few. Some of you will get defensive and say “Hey they are not that dark! They are fair”.

 But people that is not what I meant. What I meant is that they have some brown in them it does not matter if they are darker or not the fact is, back them Indian-wood had some brown girls (dusky completion) ranging from dark to dusky to fair. They had lighter skin actress and they also had darker skin actress. Back then I was happy if I saw Sarita in movies. I thought she was beautiful with her big Indian eyes and dark skin. But now, all you see is light skinned girls or very very light dusky actress! What happen to all the darker skin girls? Why are they not cast as the main actress in movies anymore? All I see is darker skinned girls are either a ‘friend’ to the lighter skinned actress or she is a laughing joke!

Why is there a prejudice against casting only light skinned girls. Now now I’m not saying Indian girls with lighter skinned tone are not Indian. Come on people! What I am saying is that WHERE IS THE BALANCE!

And you must be wondering hey there are plenty of dark skinned actors in movies! Well my dear friends there is not much prejudice against dark skinned actors compare to actress isn’t it? Famous Indian movie star is dark skinned guy am I right? But here is another thing that makes me annoyed about Indian-wood film industry, why is that, a dark skinned guy falls for a lighter skinned girls and if she rejects him, he tells her to see his personality not his skin tone. He advice her on how wrong she is at judging him by his dark skin tone but you rarely see that happening the opposite way?

They make song and jolly duet about it, in fact a whole movie dedicating a story of how a dark skinned hero falling for lighter skinned actress all the time. Where is the ‘other’ movie, where is that movie where a darker skinned girl falling for a lighter skinned guy. Where is that movie? Where is that song?

Why is that when a dark skinned guy when tries to sing a song about his skin tone and trying to somehow match his skin color in a duet with lighter skinned girl, he always compares himself or make example of Rajinikanth. Why? Because he has someone to look up to as an inspiration. A person who is not light skinned and is famous. So how is a darker skinned girl going to make a duet song about liking a lighter skinned guy, when all the Indian-wood only worship light skinned girls? Who is she going to sing about ? Let’s be real!  Do you ever recall any movie where a dark skinned actress is a portrayed as beautiful and intelligent or dreamy. No I do not mean when she is caked with make up to make herself less dark in appearance.

Remember the Karuthamma movie, I loved it! For the story and also for the fact that a light skinned doctor falls for a darker skinned village girl. I was thrilled!!! But there was no happy ending was there? She did not get married to him in the end did she? Why can’t there be a dark skinned girl who is not a village born and she is dreamy in the eyes of the hero? Why is that in the country where we are known for our brown skin tone, we only celebrate light skinned actress? Again let’s not forget the bias gender issue either. I think there is plenty of balance of dark skin and light skinned actors. Now all we need is a good balance of that applied in actress department. We need our very own “Female Rajinikanth”.  

Watch song clip here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8c2cFeUSnQ

Movies like Indira, Karuthamma and Roja, are my favourite. I love their story and their casting. Anytime a girl is darker skinned to the actor I feel so ecstatic, because it is so rare and the trend never picked up.  Roja movie did not touch on skin issue but the fact that she was the second child in the movie made me even eager to watch it. I’m a second child nothing ever happens to second child, only the first !!! LOL

Bollywood has 90% light skinned actress and actors, I don’t know why but Indians from India always tells me that north people are much lighter than south, maybe that is true. They have taken that into account and they stick to light skinned. They white washed everything from actor, actress and even their movies. Apparently Bollywood thinks that the only way you are not a typical Indian if you are fair, rich and lives overseas in luxury. Breaking whatever rule they know about Indian culture. I only watched Hindi movie if Kajol is around. Although god honest I sometimes feel like she too is whitewashed on screen.

So what happen to south Indians, Why aren’t you celebrating the darker skinned actress? You have done well for the actors, so what about the dark skinned actress? Why are they all light skinned? Are you ashamed of your dark skinned girls?  Why we are so worked up about a darker skinned girl being the main character?

Here is another thing I notice. When a lighter skinned actress who may not be the main character plays a ‘maid’ or ‘friend’ characters, she is in good situation no matter how fat or ugly she looks. As long as she is light all is fair game. But let’s say that fat and ugly girl is dark skinned and OMG  she is a JOKE !!!???? She is automatically not attractive and became subject to cruel jokes and poke fun!!!  I’m not saying fat light skinned girls are not made fun, but not as much as dark skinned girls. They always are seen as light skinned luscious maid or auntie that makes other supporting actors lust after them.

A dark skinned hero can scold his ‘friend’ saying “it’s not nice to make fun of dark skinned girls, they are beautiful too’ but turns around and fall head over heels over light skinned girl. I say ok, maybe it’s a preference, he likes lighter skin girls. So what happens if a dark skinned girl falls for light skinned guy, Why can’t that be a preference of hers? Why people treat her like she is delusional? She is out of his league? Why? Because she is dark and he is not? Why he can play the card but she can’t?

I know some of you say like “there are still some dark actress in Indian-wood” True that is true up until I notice all this actress are either whitewashed or they are caked in make up to appear less dark. There is not true variety of skin shade anymore. Rather if you are fair…….it does not matter if you are fat, not attractive or downright worse at acting, as long as you are fair/ light skinned you are hired!

I have avoided watching Indian-wood movies now because I don’t feel inspired. I don’t feel proud and I refused to worship and fan girl over light skinned girls dominating Indian-woods. I want balance, I’m not saying fire and chase away all the light skinned actress, don’t forget they are Indians too, what I saying is that I would very much prefer a balance. I want to see a movie where a light skinned hero falls head over heels when he sees a modern dreamy dark skinned girl. I want to see a dark skinned girls dancing to a song that celebrate her dark skin tone. I want to see a dark skinned actress having main characters roles not just a side joke that nobody will remember her after T minus 2 seconds. I want to see a “Female Rajinikanth”.

This is why I refused to watch Indian-wood movies. I only watch them if and only if someone tells me the movie is different or it has amazing plot. If it’s a love story …..which it always is ……. Its not my genre unless they produce a movie where a dark skinned girl is cast as the main actress and her skin tone is not an issue rather she is just a dreamy Indian beauty…….maybe then I will consider again.

It’s already bad that white skinned is worshiped and it dominates media industry and the world. So if I can’t be proud of my skin tone in Indian-wood why should I accept and worship light skinned actress that has nothing in common with me besides being Indian.

It is bad enough that media force girls into thinking THIN is beautiful, since that applies to all color, race and country, it is a global issue. Weight can change and it’s a matter of choice if you want to be thin or chubby or whatever, But skin is not a choice!!!! It is something you are born in and it will stay with you no matter what. Since this is not something you can simply turn on and off, why don’t we teach our younger generations how to respect and love the skin color you are born with, to tell them not to believe what bold face lies they throw on TV saying Fair skin means beauty and success.

It’s heart breaking to see a young girl asking her mom to buy her bleach cream because she is not beautiful and fair like her friends. And you know what is sadder (if that is even a word) The mom agrees and buys her 10 year old daughter a bleach cream!!!!! LADY WTF !!!! You lady are a disgrace !!!!