In today’s time, discrimination based on skin colour is not tolerated in any professional field. Though society has comparatively become more progressive in the recent years, in the film industry, specifically actresses faced difficulties due to their skin colour. Dusky beauties like actresses Smita Patil and Nandita Das have already broken stereotypes around skin colour in the film industry. Even after all this, there are people who think that a woman’s skin tone defines her beauty. Many actresses have voiced their concerns openly on being discriminated against due to their skin colour. Actress Ulka Gupta, who is best known for daily soaps like Saat Phere, Jhansi ki Rani and Banni Chow Home Delivery, also faced discrimination and she did not hesitate to raise her voice.
Ulka Gupta had joined television as a child artist, playing younger versions of Rani Laxmibai and soon graduated to lead roles with the ongoing Banni Chow Home delivery. In an interview with ETimes last year, she had revealed how her dark skin tone had become a hindrance for her in the early phase of her career.
She said that her father, having been involved in theatre, taught her the basics of acting as a child. When she was eight or nine, Ulka would attend auditions with her father, but would be disappointed seeing signboards like ‘only fair and upmarket kids’. She said she used to wonder whether she can ever be an actress, since she is not fair skinned. Ulka also spoke about how dusky, dark children were demanded for only roles of rural kids. She questioned such stereotypes in the industry.
“It affected me, and I would talk to my father about it. He would counter that you only need to be a skilled actor to act, and that these are merely notions. You will find work if you just concentrate on being a decent actress. And I was given a role in Saat Phere. The director was JD Majethia. I was meant for that character, and not given it because of my complexion,” Ulka said. She added that the role boosted her confidence and soon she was given the lead character in Jhansi ki Rani. Thereafter, she did not have to look back.
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