7 Bengali Beauties Who Smashed Indian Beauty Standards And Gave Patriarchy The Finger
Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... read full bio
West Bengal is known for producing some of the most talented artists, singers, poets, and actors that this country has seen. Many times, Bengali actors choose to work in Hindi and Bollywood films rather than their own regional cinema. And in a way we are grateful for it! Besides being known for their incredible good looks and soulful eyes, Bengali women are always breaking stereotypes and often taking up roles that are considered bold or unconventional. So it’s no surprise that Bollywood loves casting Bengali women in their films and shows. Here are seven Bengali actresses and the incredible ways in which they smashed the different beauty standards that they encountered in the entertainment industry:
1. Rani Mukherjee
Rani Mukherjee is known for being an iconic queen and the first time we truly encountered her stylish avatar was in the film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. In a world of leggy and tall lasses like Sushmita Sen and Karisma Kapoor, Rani stood out at a mere 4’11. She might be tiny, but she is mighty. Rani smashed all beauty stereotypes when she came onto the scene and proved that just because you’re of a shorter stature, doesn’t mean that you cannot hold your own in front of the screen.
2. Konkona Sensharma
Konkana is another Bengali beauty who keeps defying beauty standards. She plays characters that are neither black nor white and has the versatility of a chameleon. Her roles in films like Lipstick Under My Burkha, Page 3, and Life In A Metro… have won her tonnes of praise. Although she is of a shorter stature and is dark skinned, Konkana has proven that Bollywood has a place for duskier women like herself.
3. Swastika Mukherjee
Swastika Mukherjee may play more homely roles on OTT platforms, but her real life persona is the total opposite. Her Instagram profile is flooded with pictures of her unconventional life and she is known for sporting bold and edgy punk haircuts. Her haircuts are a stark contrast to her light eyes and we cannot help but be impressed by how striking her features are!
4. Kajol
Many people find unibrows to be extremely unattractive and will often mock or tease those who are relatively unkempt or not groomed. However, despite these silly and patriarchal standards towards body hair and darker skin tones, Kajol chose to rock her unibrow and not lighten her skin tone. She did extremely well as an actress and bagged many successful film roles with the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and more.
5. Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu is one of the OG dusky skinned actresses who made it big! She starred in many mainstream films after making her debut in the crime-thriller Ajnabee and even won a Filmfare for her incredible acting prowess. Although the film didn’t do too well, Bipasha played a villainous role and her vamp character won praise from many critics. While Bipasha was initially typecast as a siren character, she acted in many movies like Corporate and Dum Maaro Dum and proved she wasn’t just a pretty face on the screens.
6. Sayani Gupta
Sayani burst into the entertainment scene with a breakthrough role in the 2014 film, Margarita With A Straw. In the film, she plays the blind Pakistani girlfriend of Kalki Koechlin’s lead character and their incredible chemistry was truly captivating. After winning praise for Margarita With A Straw, she starred in many successful feature films. What we love about Sayani is her incredible sense of style. She isn’t afraid to rock bold looks, both off screen and on screen. While she is known for playing capable and incredibly powerful women in her roles, she has often shown her softer side as well. We cannot wait to see what this OTT favorite has in store for us!
7. Sushmita Sen
Source: Instagram
While Sushmita may seem like the epitome of perfection when it comes to beauty, this wasn’t always the case. She was often pitted against lighter skinned and more typically “feminine” models and actresses. However, Sushmita beat the most beautiful woman in the world, Aishwarya Rai to grab the crown of Miss India Universe. She also became everyone’s favorite teacher after she starred opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Main Hoon Naa. Can we blame him for having a crush on her? Not only that, but she broke all taboos when she decided to adopt her first child, Renee, at the young age of 21 as a single mother in the year 2000. Proving that she also has a beautiful and large heart. Now, Sushmita is making waves through her role in the hit Amazon Prime show, Aarya.
It’s wonderful to see talented actresses who would once upon a time would not have been considered “Bollywood material” get their shot in the daylight and on the big screens. We hope to see more incredible actresses break these beauty standards and stereotypes as time goes on. Do let us know which of the actresses featured on our list hold a special place in your heart.
