9 Brown-Skinned Divas Who Proved That Looking Lovely Has Nothing To Do With Skin Color

Let’s be real, Bollywood often perceives a heroine as a fair-skinned, dark-haired, tall woman. However, the reality is most of the women in our country don’t find enough representation on the big screens. We live in a world where the media often portrays unconventional standards of beauty. This isn’t to say that there aren’t dark-skinned leading ladies out there; it’s just a rare occurrence. So let’s take a look at nine beautiful and uber-talented brown-skinned actresses:

1. Bipasha Basu

Bipasha was one of the first few brown-skinned Bollywood actresses to become a household name in India. The actress has been very open about the discrimination that she has faced while working in Bollywood. She often found herself typecast in “vamp” roles and was known for her unique looks. Her breakthrough role was in the film, Jism and it brought her commercial success in the 2000s.

2. Tabu

Tabu is a lady who needs no introduction. Known for her roles in various hits like Chandni Bar, Andhadhuun, and Drishyam, the actress is no stranger to the big screens. She has starred in many films and played strong, powerful, and regal women throughout her career. The actress has played a grieving mother, a cheating wife, a bar dancer, and many more iconic roles.

3. Masaba Gupta

Masaba Gupta is a young fashion designer turned actress. The daughter of Neena Gupta and Sir Vivian Richards, Masaba, made her acting debut on the Netflix show Masaba Masaba. The show is a mainly fictional portrayal of her real life as a celebrity fashion designer. It was released on 28th August to rave reviews and is currently one of India’s most-watched Netflix shows. Masaba once spoke about how her mother, Neena, discouraged her from acting as she didn’t believe Masaba fit Bollywood’s conventional beauty standards. Neena revealed in an interview that she regrets discouraging her and admitted that she believes Masaba is a talented actress.

4. Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra hasn’t just made a name for herself in Bollywood. She has traveled across the seas and established herself as a well-known actress, even in Hollywood. After her much-awaited wedding to the singer, Nick Jonas, she shifted to Los Angeles, and the pair adopted a bunch of dogs together. However, before all of this, Priyanka was a major force to reckon with in Bollywood. The actress opened up about how she was bullied for her dark skin when she was younger and that it impacted her self-perception.

She has acted in over 64 films in her career and is still going strong. Priyanka has proven that a brown-skinned actress can play leading roles with much success.

5. Sayani Gupta

Not only is Sayani Gupta a talented and unique beauty, but she is also known for her versatile characters. From playing a hardcore journalist in 4 More Shots Please to playing a blind LGBT student in Margarita With A Straw, the actress has done it all. Sayani’s bold, powerful and unique looks in 4 More Shots Please were much loved by fans all across the country.

6. Freida Pinto

Freida Pinto made a name for herself as Latika with her role in the film, Slumdog Millionaire. The film won multiple awards and made their stars, Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, overnight stars. After the film, Freida has often been seen walking red carpets across Hollywood with her unique outfits. She was also featured in the music video for the song Gorilla by famous Hip-Hop artist, Bruno Mars.

7. Nandita Das

Nandita has been one of the pioneers of the “dark is beautiful” movement and has gone out of her way to fight colorism within the industry. She has starred in films like Manto, Fire, and Earth. Nandita is all for promoting natural beauty and letting other women know that dark skin is just as beautiful as any other skintone there is.

8. Chitrangda Singh

Chitrangda seemed to have had an unsuccessful start to Bollywood with her earlier roles, not gaining much attention. The actress then took a sabbatical to start a family. She later came back to acting with her role in the film Desi Boyz which received commercial success. The actress then dealt with rife in her personal life and divorced her husband in 2015. However, she did not let this impact her career and she continued acting and even won a Bollywood Movie Award for Best Female Debut.

9. Lisa Haydon

Most of us know Lisa Haydon as the feisty and fabulous Vijayalakshmi from Queen. She established herself as a successful model before stepping into the shoes of an actress. Lisa made her film debut in Aisha and went on to act in films like The Shaukeens, Housefull 3, and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. She has also been the judge of India’s Next Top Model and Top Model India.

So there you have it—a list of nine beautiful brown-skinned Indian divas who prove that beauty is not skin deep. Do let us know your thoughts on this article in the comment section below.

Was this article helpful?

Author

Niharika NayakBA (Media & Communication)

 

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 video games, and hanging out with stray animals.

Read full bio of Niharika Nayak