Name: Sudha Hariharan

Dusky IS Sexy…………....

Gloss over the matrimonial columns in any of the newspapers and you’ll predictably find : Seeking tall, fair, beautiful, qualified girl for……. There exists, even today, a mindset that equates beauty with fairness. And, of course fairness cream manufacturers are milking this cow dry. So much so, that now we have an entire range of cosmetics, including fairness creams exclusively for men. Why are we obsessed with fairness? Why do we think that only fair women are beautiful? Is this a colonial hangover?

Director Mahesh Bhatt ( who made Bipasha Basu a household name with (Jism) had, in an interview rightly said that India which was originally inhabited by the dark-skinned Dravidians felt they had to emulate their conquerors—the fair-skinned Aryans.

Early Hindi cinema glorified the fair-skinned, fragile beauties so much that when the dusky, attractive (and often more talented) southern belles invaded the industry they had to reinvent themselves.They probably found salvation in colossal bleach vats! Yet, Bipasha Basu, the ebony-beauty, was voted the hottest star of the year! Oprah Winfrey, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell and Whoopi Goldberg are cult celebrities.

A majority of Indian models and filmstars are fair-skinned: a handful of dusky damsels like Tapur and Tupur, Nina Manuel, Carol Gracias are top ramp-walkers, while the silver screen has Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, Bipasha Basu, Sameera Reddy and a few others who have carved a niche for themselves. Surprisingly, while we in India hanker after a fair complexion, in the west, dusky is hot! We seem to have forgotten that India’s first Miss Universe- Reita Faria a svelte, leggy and dusky beauty ( a doctor to boot) won the crown way back in the 60’s! Four decades later the debate still rages on. So while fairness creams and lotions fly off Indian shelves, westerners strive for the ‘tanned’look!

Today even men have started hankering for fair skin. A recent commercial introduced a product meant to lighten dark skin pigments. Another showed a woman cricket commentator getting into the commentary box based on her…tough to believe…. skin color!

Cogito Consulting, the Brand Consulting Division of FCB Group has put in place process to track Indian consumer’s changing preferences. One such tracking mechanism was aimed at measuring the effect mass media, especially television, has on the psyche of the Indian housewife.

Are serials indicative of a more radical shift, which went against established dogmas in television? To understand the underlying causes for the apparent changes, a study among women aged 25-40 belonging to SEC A and B, across metropolitan Mumbai and the more traditional North Indian cities viz. Delhi and Lucknow.

Saloni is set to become the first dark skinned superstar on Indian television. The path-breaking story of Saat Phere and Saloni has already attracted international attention with an article in Time magazine (Dec 5, 2005 Issue). On her journey through all its twists and turns, the enthusiastic support of viewers is one thing that Saloni can count on. Sans make-up and, with an honest attitude, not to mention a ‘real’ face, this young chocolat-au-lait- colored girl has stolen many hearts. Belonging to a traditional ‘marwari’ family from Jaipur, Rajasthan, Saloni’s chronicle is about her rejection by the society based purely on her handicap – of being blessed with skin the color of the setting sun.

The success for the channel Zee TV’s serial Saath Phere – Saloni Ka Safar, stood as the latest to catch the fancy of the Indian women, in the heartland that worships fairness. While many urban Indian women ( especially in the large metros) seem to have got over this fixation, in rural areas it is still a big deal and, being dark can be traumatic--- a huge handicap when it comes to marriage and dowry. This issue gets highlighted from time to time, in fits and bursts with negligible results. However, it is now clear that media, especially television has been successful, to a great extent, in creating awareness.

The chocolate-complexioned Rajshri Thakur, who plays Saloni, doesn’t think twice before hopping on to a local train to travel and blends in so well that she often goes unrecognized. When she is recognized, she is surrounded by excited women who bombard her with questions about her role and commend her performance. Rajshri was a news reporter with AIR, Doordarshan and Zee News, before she made her debut in Saat Phere.

“ I accepted this role first of all because it wasn’t the typical saas-bahu rigmarole….my role was strong and even though I don’t identify with certain traits in Saloni’s character ( she tends to cry a lot), I felt the story had a pertinent message. I myself haven’t faced any problems because of my complexion….though I must admit I was rejected for a few commercials because of it”, says Rajshri.

Yet another dusky and attractive TV star, Shveta Salve ( Sarrkar and Yeh Dil Chahe More) echoes Rajshri’s sentiments: Being dusky is a drawback when it comes to modelling, but in the acting field it is talent that matters more”.

Says Rajshri: “I’ve been receiving very positive feedback for Saat Phere, lots of email from youngsters and housewives. I fee that whether young or old, women don’t like this kind of discrimination …. They just don’t say it loud enough. But I feel the serial is touching all the right chords. What’s more important is that even men are writing in to me appreciating my role….It’s a small step, but in the right direction!”

Saloni goes through many trials and tribulations because of the colour of her skin…there are problems in the marriage and even dowry issues have been addressed. Viewers have been actively roped in to participate in a quiz (after each Friday telecast) and apart from the prizes that are given away, their answers determine the future track of the story!

The old order changeth

India has always had strong female role models throughout its history from Rani Laxmibai to Sarojini Naidu to P T Usha, Today Barkha Dutt, Kiran Bedi and Sania Mirza have become icons due to their grit, determination and achievements.

On Indian television, Tulsi Virani, Prerana Bajaj and Parvati have long held sway over the viewers. Are new role models emerging on Indian television? The survey shows that (Tulsi Virani of Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) Smriti Irani, and Prerna Kasauti Zindagi Ki) Shweta Tiwari topped as the favourite female actresses; Saloni of Saat Phere(Rajshri) is nipping at their heels, followed by Jassi, and Parvati.

Saloni has emerged as the new age icon alongside stalwarts like Tulsi Virani and Prerana Bajaj managing to win millions of hearts without really trying and endearing herself to viewers with her sheer honesty that reflects on the screen.

Saloni refuses to compromise on her dignity and with quiet strength and gentle demeanor creates her own path in life. She was spontaneously compared to Jassi, while Jassi’s new avatar was seen as divorced from reality, Saloni and her values seem to have found immediate acceptance.

As a new icon emerges among the female characters on television, the old favorites continue to rule the roost among male leads with Mihir Virani and Mr. Bajaj continuing as favorites.

The survey also explored which serials have captured the interest of today’s television viewing audience, listing KSBKBT, Saat Phere, Kasauti Zindagi Ki, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin and Who Rehnewali Mehelon Ki as the toppers.

(BOX)?

‘FAIR’ PRICE

Cream formulas have come a long way since the days of ancient Egypt, when melted wax and water were mixed with olive oil crushed in flower petals. This emulsion had one major drawback: oil turns rancid meaning that you were liable to open a jar and find an uninvited colony of tiny organisms in residence. The problem was solved by using standard oil, which discovered mineral oil, a petroleum by=product which lasted forever. Nowadays we have preservatives to keep any oil fresh. Most moisturizers still have a mineral oil base.

Walk into any store or mall and you’ll find shelves ,rows and rows of them lined with pretty jars, exotic pots and tantalizing bottles---all beckoning you to dip your fingers in them with the promise of being, perhaps, just yards away from the beauty you always yearned to be. And it does give you high if you are actually able to afford these magic potions. Once the privilege of the rich, now you and your maid-servant’s daughter ---all of us can indulge!.

First the market liberation in 1991, and then the crowning of many Indian women at international beauty pageants, have put the cosmetic industry in the limelight.

The Indian Cosmetic industry has been growing in leaps and bounds. Of the Rs.3,000 crore cosmetics and toiletries segment, the skincare segment alone accounts for Rs. 1,500 cr.(USD 180 million). Fairness Creams account for 60% of skincare products.

While other parts of the world are taking to the traditional Indian herbal way of beauty, Indian consumers are increasingly looking at international brands as life enhancement products. Since liberalization many global brands like Avon, Burberrys, Calvin Klein, Cartier, Christian Dior, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden L’Oreal. Schwarzkopf, Yardley, Wella are some of them. Penetration levels of these brands though, are only 20%----a major reason being the high pricing.

On the other hand there also exists the belief that cosmetics are harmful to the skin and increased awareness about herbal products has triggered a demand for them. Over the last few years, a herbal wave has been sweeping this Rs. 300 crore segment, which is perceived to be the hottest and fastest growing!

While some players like Shahnaz Hussain have made their presence felt, new entrants like Biotique, Lotus Herbals, are gaining popularity. Existing players like HLL are expanding their product range and Himalaya Drugs ( Ayurvedic Concepts), Dabur and Dr. Morepen are fast making inroads in this sector.