Throwback! Kajol Shut Down Skin Whitening Gossips, Once Called ‘Fat’ And ‘Dark’

As our beloved Bollywood star Kajol turns a year older today, 51, on August 5, fresh is the cast of rumors surrounding her supposed skin-whitening treatment, sparked by her evolution from the “fat and dark” to a shining star. Jump on board as we explore the controversy, her response and the broader issue concerning colorism in India.

Bullied For Colour From Day 1

Daughter of cinema’s very own Tanuja and Shomu Mukherjee, Kajol spectacularly entered into films with Baazigar (1993) and went on to cement her status as a star with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). Those early years in her life were quite the contrary, as she’d gone under severe judgment.

In one of her interviews, she recounted how she was called dark, fat and was ridiculed for her ever-present glasses. And here was a girl gifted with merit all of whose dusky beauty was yet deemed beneath the set standards of beauty by a society that worshipped fairness. Kajol’s no-nonsense attitude kept her in popular appreciation, especially among Indian women, but her ever-changing looks fell prey to speculation.

The Skin Whitening Controversy

The skin whitening rumours started almost immediately, during Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) the word very rapidly flew that she was being cross-examined for skin-whitening procedures, with more than a few dubious treatments to reduce her melanin.

In a 2014 statement, Kajol denied a skin-whitening claim, explaining that her suddenly lighter features stemmed from avoiding the sun after many years of working outdoors. Yet somehow, a smirk of skepticism existed here, and people questioned why their little exposure to the sun hadn’t produced similar results on them. 

The Colourism and Beauty Standards of Bollywood

It goes some distance to confirm how deeply colorism has set its roots within India: on those rare occasions when beauty is spoken of, it is usually paired with a fair skin tone. Amidst such tremendous pressure actresses had, it will not be erroneous to assume that they have all had the lightening treatments, be it Priyanka Chopra or Deepika Padukone.

The way Kajol managed to silence all such baseless rumours, through her witty response like #sunblocked for an Instagram update in 2023, contradicts the society’s norm. Her story opens up the important debate: Why do we look at skin tone rather than talent? Today at 51, Kajol challenges Bollywood to expand its definition of beauty.

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