'They were dusky earlier, but are fair today!' Kangana's dig at Deepika and Kajol?

Kangana Ranaut, the Bollywood actress and Member of Parliament, is no stranger to controversy, often speaking her mind openly. Her recent comments have once again sparked a heated debate, this time surrounding colourism in the Indian film industry.

It should be noted that Kangana’s recent film Emergency, in which she portrays former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, failed to achieve significant success at the box office. Amidst this, the actor recently took to Instagram to express her opinions on the lack of dark-skinned actresses in Bollywood today.

In her post, Kangana highlighted the absence of actresses with dusky skin tones in mainstream Bollywood, referencing iconic actresses like Deepika Padukone, Kajol, and Bipasha Basu, who are celebrated for their looks. She questioned why there seems to be a dearth of representation for dusky-skinned actresses, asking, “Where are the actresses with darker skin tones in Bollywood today?”

Kangana began her discussion by referencing the internet sensation Mona Lisa, whose natural beauty captured global attention during this year's Kumbh Mela. She also criticised the media for breaching the young girl’s privacy and making fame feel overwhelming for her. On this occasion, she wondered whether people are loving younger actresses the way they loved Anu Agarwal, Kajol, Bipasha, Deepika, or Rani Mukerji. “Why is it that even actresses who were once dark-skinned are now being portrayed as fair-skinned women, with the help of lightening treatments or makeup?” she asked.

Her comments have sparked a significant debate on platforms like Reddit, where some users agreed with her, arguing that most of today’s actresses share a similar fair skin tone. Others, however, criticised her claims, stating that the actresses she mentioned never had dark skin, but rather medium skin tones.

Kangana has a long history of making bold statements, often criticising her contemporaries and the industry's treatment of women. While her remarks on colourism have divided opinion, they continue to fuel the ongoing conversation about representation and diversity in Bollywood.