New Delhi [India], January 27 : Actress, producer and host Chandrika Ravi admitted that she faced significant colourism during her career in India where she was often told to lighten her skin, avoid the sun, and alter her appearance to get roles in the Indian film industry.
Chandrika Ravi is an Australian born actress who shares roots in Southern India and has worked across Hollywood and Indian cinema industry, building a career that bridges gaps between cultures and making fans worldwide. However, the actress believes that her road to Indian cinema industry was not easy, alleging she had to face discrimination based on her dusky skin tone in the Indian cinema industry.
In an interview with ANI, Chandrika Ravi expresses her disbelief on the significant colourism in India when compared to West, where people celebrate her "dusky skin."
"I faced a lot of colourism in India throughout my career. I've been in India for eight years now working. In the west, my skin is celebrated. Everything is Chandrika's dusky skin, exotic and this and that. That's what they say there. But here (India) it was like, you need to lighten your skin. Don't go in the sun. Change your hair colour, wear colour contacts. So, I just kept pushing to keep doing work because when you don't know anything other than being an artist, you just keep pushing at what you love, right?" Ravi said.
The 'Iruttu Arayil Murattu Kuthu' actress says that she is not the only actress who has called out the colourism in the Indian cinema industry.
"The colourism in the Indian film industry has been very prevalent for a long time. I'm not the only person who has spoken about it. It is very pick and choose who we want to celebrate for their dusky skin. I have been very vocal about the fact of like, whether you say I'm a South Indian or not, I am an Indian woman with a slightly darker tone," said Chandrika Ravi.
Speaking about her losing roles to actresses who are "slightly fairer or not South Indian" she added, "If you go to the North, like the very North, people have very fair skin. You go to the South, people may have fair skin as well. So, that was something that I had to keep fighting because I was losing a lot of roles to a girl that was slightly fairer or not South Indian. It's happened many times in my career, especially in the early years. The colourism is something that is so very prevalent here."
Coming to her filmography, Chandika Ravi received her major breakthrough in 2018 with her Indian film debut in the Tamil comedy hit 'Iruttu Arayil Murattu Kuthu'. Within a year, she appeared in three additional Indian films, cementing her on-screen presence.
Her global recognition reached new heights after she performed a dance number in Nandamuri Balakrishan starrer Veera Simha Reddy which was released in 2023.
The actress was recently seen in the music video 'Saanvle' which celebrates the beauty of dark skin. The song is sung by Diljit Dosanjh and Raj Ranjodh, while the lyrics are composed by Raj Ranjodh.
The actress is also set to co-create and star as the Indian Actress Silk Smitha in her official biopic 'Silk Smitha: Queen of the South'.
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