A Hard Look at Internalized Beauty Biases in India

 As an Indian man, I’ve sometimes found myself more drawn to women with Caucasian features—fair skin, light eyes, sharp noses. Even among Indian women, I subconsciously favor those with lighter skin or more "Western-looking" faces. For a long time, I never questioned it. But recently, I started asking: Where do these preferences come from? And more importantly—what do they say about me?

Is it racism? Is it just personal taste? Or is there something deeper at play?

---

Beauty Is Not Just Personal—It's Political

We like to believe that attraction is purely instinctive and personal. But the truth is, our "types" are often shaped by centuries of cultural conditioning, media influence, and social hierarchies.

In India, the preference for fair skin and sharp features isn't new. It's not even just a colonial hangover—it’s much older.

---

Ancient Biases: Before the British Came

Even before colonization, Indian society had deep caste-linked aesthetic preferences. Light skin, narrow noses, and angular features were often associated with upper castes like Brahmins and Kshatriyas. These features were not just considered beautiful—they were seen as signs of purity, superiority, and divinity.

In contrast, darker skin, broader noses, and curlier hair—features more common among Dalit, Adivasi, and Dravidian communities—were unfairly stigmatized.

Ancient texts, myths, and social practices reinforced this hierarchy. Terms like “Shyam” (dark) or “Krishna” (black) did exist with reverence—but in many stories, the “demon” or “rakshasa” was often dark, while the “god” or “deva” was fair.

---

Then Came Colonialism—and Made It Worse

The British didn't invent colorism in India, but they weaponized it.

By positioning themselves as rulers and portraying whiteness as the symbol of intelligence, modernity, and power, they deepened India’s obsession with pale skin. The idea that “white is right” was cemented further through English education, Christian missionary influence, and elite alliances.

Suddenly, looking "foreign" wasn't just desirable—it became aspirational.

---

Bollywood, Matrimonials, and Fairness Creams: Today’s Enablers

Fast forward to today, and the results are everywhere:

• Bollywood mostly casts light-skinned heroines, often with Eurocentric features.

• Matrimonial ads demand “fair, slim, tall” brides.

• Fairness creams like “Fair & Lovely” (now rebranded) still fly off the shelves.

So when someone like me says, “I prefer fair women” or “sharp noses are more attractive,” I’m not just expressing personal taste. I’m echoing centuries of racial, caste, and colonial biases—often without realizing it.

---

Does That Make Me Racist?

Not necessarily. Having a preference shaped by your environment doesn't make you evil. But never questioning it? That’s where the danger lies.

If I only see beauty in those who resemble whiteness or upper-caste standards…
If I instinctively find darker-skinned or broader-featured women less attractive…
If I would feel more validated or “successful” being with a Caucasian woman…

Then yes—I’ve internalized a biased worldview. And it’s time to unpack it.

---

Unlearning What We’ve Been Taught

Here’s how I (and maybe others) can start:

1. Expose Yourself to Diverse Beauty
   Follow creators, models, and influencers who celebrate South Asian, Dravidian, and Dalit features—dark skin, broad noses, curly hair, and all.

2. Question the Hierarchy
   Ask yourself: Would I find this person attractive if they didn’t have those Eurocentric traits?
   If not—why not?

3. Challenge the Link Between Fairness and Value
   Fair skin isn’t “classy.” Sharp noses aren’t “superior.” These are learned associations, not truths.

4. Consume Art That Reflects Our Reality
   Read Dalit literature. Watch indie films that break Bollywood’s aesthetic mold. Learn about your country’s own diversity.

---

Final Thoughts

This isn’t about guilt—it’s about growth.

It's okay to have preferences. But it's better to ask: Did I choose these preferences, or did someone choose them for me?

By confronting these uncomfortable truths, we don’t just free ourselves from bias—we make room to see and appreciate beauty in all its real, raw, and diverse forms.

Why ANI ancestry dominates Bollywood

---

Why ANI ancestry dominates Bollywood

Bollywood’s obsession with lighter skin and sharp features didn’t start with colonialism — the roots run far deeper, into India’s ancient history.

Even today, Indian cinema (including Tollywood) reflects these old preferences. Here’s how it happened — with examples.

---

1. Bollywood Evolved in North India

Bollywood began in Mumbai (then Bombay), a city historically tied to northern India through migration from Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
 Northern and northwestern Indians generally carry more ANI (Ancestral North Indian) ancestry — genetically linked to Central Asian, Persian, and early Indo-European groups.

Thus, the early faces of Bollywood — from Raj Kapoor to Dev Anand — often showcased lighter skin, straighter noses, and taller frames, typical of ANI-heavy populations.

Even today, many leading actors like Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor Khan come from families rooted in North India, carrying forward that visual template.

---

2. Beauty Standards: Pre-Colonial, Mughal, and Colonial Influence

The preference for fair skin in India long predates British colonialism.

Ancient Hindu texts such as the Manusmriti and Puranic stories often describe gods and ideal humans as having radiant, golden, or fair complexions.
 For instance, Lord Krishna — whose name literally means “dark” — is sometimes visually depicted in later eras with lighter or bluish skin to soften his “darkness” in art and literature.

During Mughal rule, this bias deepened. Mughal miniatures often portrayed nobility with pale skin tones, drawing from Persian aesthetics where light skin symbolized elite status.
 Look at historical love stories like Anarkali and Salim — Anarkali was mythologized as a breathtakingly fair woman.

By the time the British arrived, India already equated fairness with wealth, refinement, and desirability. Colonial rule only codified this hierarchy — legally and socially.

Bollywood, reflecting society, continued the trend.
 Fair-skinned stars like Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Sadhana, and later Aishwarya Rai became iconic for their ethereal, light-skinned beauty.

---

3. Class and Access to Opportunities

Higher social groups historically had greater ANI ancestry — and by extension, better access to wealth, education, and opportunity.
 Cinema, being expensive to enter and risky in early decades, became dominated by elites.

For example, Prithviraj Kapoor, the patriarch of Bollywood’s Kapoor dynasty, hailed from a literate, influential Punjabi family.
 Similarly, Dilip Kumar (born Muhammad Yusuf Khan) came from a well-to-do Pathan family.

Their urban, connected backgrounds — along with their socially “approved” appearance — helped them thrive in the nascent industry.

---

4. Urban Migration Patterns

Migration patterns to Mumbai and other cities played a huge role too.

Most early Bollywood stars — such as Ashok Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar, and Sunil Dutt — were products of urban migration waves dominated by relatively well-off northern families.

Wealthier northern families had the means to send children to arts colleges, drama schools, or simply to support a struggling acting career — luxuries that most rural Indians couldn’t afford.

---

5. Tollywood’s Parallel Bias

Interestingly, even in Tollywood (Telugu cinema), where male heroes like Chiranjeevi, Prabhas, or Allu Arjun often sport darker, more Dravidian features proudly, the female leads often tell a different story.

Heroines are frequently imported from North India:
 Kajal Aggarwal (Mumbai, Punjabi family), Tamannaah Bhatia (Mumbai, Sindhi family), Hansika Motwani (Mumbai, Sindhi family), and Rakul Preet Singh (Delhi, Punjabi family) — all fair-skinned, north-origin actresses dominating Telugu screens.

Even Pooja Hegde — although born in Karnataka — fits the pan-Indian fair-skin aesthetic preferred for female leads.

Thus, the “fairness fixation” isn’t just a Bollywood quirk — it’s a pan-Indian phenomenon, affecting casting choices even in southern industries that otherwise celebrate darker-skinned male heroes.

---

In Short:

Historical north Indian dominance +
 Pre-colonial, Mughal, and colonial beauty standards +
 Class-based access to elite opportunities =
 A film industry where ANI-featured faces became (and still often remain) the default.

---

But Times Are Changing

Modern Indian cinema is gradually shifting.

Actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vijay Sethupathi, Dhanush, and actresses like Sai Pallavi are breaking traditional beauty norms, gaining immense popularity despite not fitting the old “fair-skinned” ideal.

OTT platforms have further democratized opportunities — allowing talent from every part of India, regardless of skin tone or facial features, to shine.

The change is slow — but it’s happening.
 Indian cinema, like Indian society, is beginning to confront and question its oldest biases.

---

If you enjoyed this article, follow me for more pieces decoding Indian culture, history, and society.