Criticism over darkening Mamitha Baiju’s complexion; director says ‘merit was the only criterion’

Tamil directors have often faced criticism for not casting local actresses in female-centric roles. Now, Vignesh Raja, director of the upcoming film Kara starring Dhanush, is facing similar backlash. The controversy is not just about casting Malayalam actress Mamitha Baiju as the heroine, but also allegations that her skin tone was darkened using brown makeup for the role.

In an interview with Galatta Plus, Vignesh addressed the issue. He was asked whether he couldn’t find a Tamil actress for the role, and if that was why a Malayalam actress was picked with a darker complexion. In response, he said that performance is his top priority, and the main consideration is whether the actor can do justice to the character. He added that around 20–25 girls were auditioned, but none came close to Mamitha’s performance.

Vignesh stated that choosing Mamitha as the lead was purely a merit-based decision. He also said he has no issue with criticism that labels him as following a certain pattern or being sexist.

Meanwhile, many people have taken to social media to criticise the director. Some pointed out that there are talented, dark-skinned Tamil women, and questioned the need to darken the complexion of a fair-skinned actress. Others argued that using “merit” as a justification overlooks deeper issues of discrimination. There were also posts calling the practice of darkening actors’ skin tone problematic and urging that it should be stopped.