South Indian Actresses' Limited Representation 🎥

Although many exceptions within South India’s diverse population exist, most South Indians are dark-skinned. Film industries here are the most unique in that they discriminate against their own majority—specifically their women—for their dark skin tone. Day by day, it is becoming harder to see an actual South Indian woman play a pivotal role in a South Indian film since industries are resorting to casting fair-skinned actresses from North India. This op-ed delves into how Tamil and Telugu films have been creating a false reality for people to live in by setting unrealistic beauty standards and promoting gender stereotypes.

Sources:
-“How obsessed are Indians with fair skin?" Asian Boss, 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW7_2-snzOI
-“Why dark-skinned women often pay a higher dowry?" Global Village Space, 2017: https://www.globalvillagespace.com/why-dark-skinned-women-often-pay-a-higher-dowry/
-“My journey to success," Aishwarya Rajesh, TEDxTalks, 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zls4a7I_qaM
-“Baahubali Actress Tamannaah Bhatia Looks Unrecognisable In Before And After Pictures—View," India.com, 2018: https://www.india.com/entertainment/baahubali-actress-tamannaah-bhatia-looks-unrecognisable-in-before-and-after-pictures-view-3032260/
-“7 Actors Who Were Brownfaced For Their Roles | Bollywood | The Family Man," 5ocial, 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4T7R0u5BiE
-“Highest paid Tamil actors 2021," IMDb, 2021: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls084471941/
-“Top 20 highest paid Telugu actors 2021," IMDb, 2021: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls084471631/
-“Highest paid South Indian actresses 2021," IMDb, 2021: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls084474031/
-“Top 10 Highest Paid Tamil Movie Actress By Salary Per Movie in 2020," theclashofnews.com, 2020 https://theclashofnews.com/top-10-highest-paid-tamil-movie-actress/

All complexions of actors and actresses listed in the video were strictly a close estimate.

Articles that helped estimate complexions:
-“An un’fair’ obsession," Deccan Chronicle, 2017: https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/tollywood/130417/an-unfair-obsession.html
-“Dear Tamil Cinema, Let Brown Women Play The Role Of Brown Women," feminismIndia.com, 2018: https://feminisminindia.com/2018/10/08/dear-tamil-cinema-let-brown-women-play-the-role-of-brown-women/
-"'Arrambam'… Mission to 'mass,'" Baradwaj Rangan, 2013: https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/arrambam-mission-to-mass/
-“Southern Lights: Are Tamil-Speaking Heroines Doomed In Tamil Cinema?" Film Companion, 2018: https://www.filmcompanion.in/opinion/tamil-opinion/southern-lights-are-tamil-speaking-heroines-doomed-in-tamil-cinema/
-More information on the characteristics of the Loosu Ponnu Stock Character from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loosu_ponnu
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