Marriage or Job – When “Skin Tone” Becomes Your Resume! Was Lord Krishna Fair & Lovely?
Did Radha or the Gopis ever pause and say, “Wait… Kanha’s a little too dusky for me”?
Recently, I attended a wedding. Everything was going smoothly—the couple looked happy, the buffet was open, and people were piling their plates. Nearby, I overheard two aunties gossiping, fork in one hand, sharp opinions in the other:
“She’s a little dark… though she looks decent overall. Probably had to compromise a bit.”
Another chimes in with a knowing sigh: “Maybe the guy’s side had some… issues?”
The takeaway? The bride lost points on the unofficial marriage scorecard simply because of her skin tone. Everything else—education, character, compatibility—was apparently adjustable.
Now that we’re talking about colourism, let’s not stop at the aisle.
Today, whether it’s a job interview or a marriage proposal, your complexion often speaks louder than your qualifications.
If the bride is fair-skinned, people nod and say, “Beauty with brains.”
If she’s dusky? “Oh, we’ll adjust.”
Spoiler: She’ll be the one expected to do all the adjusting in life.
What’s even more ironic is how people sit around dissecting who “compromised” in the match—as if love is a business merger and skin tone is part of the SWOT analysis.
And let’s not forget: if the groom is a few shades darker, no one says a word. In fact, he’s praised for his “dusky charm” and “rugged handsomeness.”
Check out matrimonial ads:
“Fair, slim, convent-educated, beautiful.”
Sounds less like a person, more like a luxury perfume bottle.
Ever read an ad that says:
“Kind, emotionally available, empathetic”?
Didn’t think so.
In most cases, the skin tone comes first—everything else is just fine print.
Character? Depth? Soul? Meh. Let’s see how well the packaging holds up under Instagram filters.
From TV ads to skincare creams to Reels, the world screams:
“Want to prove your worth? First, get fairer!”
And that’s the world our kids are growing up in—believing that having a darker skin tone is a flaw that needs correcting.
Stand-up comedy or shade-shaming circus?
Watch an comedy special. Every third joke is about someone’s complexion or body type.
We laugh, ticket in hand, not realizing we’re funding our own ridicule.
When the only punchline is someone’s pigment, maybe the joke’s on us.
Now imagine if Lord Krishna was on Tinder today
His bio might read:
“Dusky, flute player, emotionally available, not fair-skinned. If that’s a dealbreaker, go ahead and swipe left.”
Let’s be honest—Krishna’s magnetism had nothing to do with his skin tone.
Neither Radha nor the Gopis ever judged him by shade.
They fell for his soul, his depth, his vibe—not his visible spectrum.
Colourism isn’t new.
We love blaming colonialism for it, but let’s not forget, our grandparents had a PhD in brown-shaming long before the British stepped in. The caste system had its own shade card, centuries ago.
When Mahatma Gandhi was thrown off a train in South Africa, it was due to his skin colour.
We don’t throw people off trains anymore.
We just throw them out of favour—and out of marriage matches and promotions—based on how “bright” their face is in selfies.
Skin Tone = Casting Call
Bollywood, Hollywood—you name it:
Fair heroes = romance, glamour, happy endings.
Dusky heroes = Reserved for realistic films, social awareness dramas, or side roles.
Maybe a breakthrough on OTT platforms—if they’re lucky.
When a dark-skinned actor finally makes it big, the headlines scream:
“Breaking Barriers!”
“How did they manage to succeed without fairness on their side?”
As if beauty is the intellectual property of a particular pigment.
Even today, Black directors in Hollywood face funding issues.
Colour bias and typecasting are global epidemics.
That’s why Black History Month exists—in countries like the U.S., Canada, and the UK—to honour the legacies of those who transcended colour and created impact.
Whether reel life or real life—it begs the same question:
What’s the benchmark for love or success?
- Is it tone or soul?
- Can a good life partner be defined by their fairness?
As author James Baldwin once wrote:
“Love takes off the masks.”
And when that mask slips—
So do the biases, the shallow judgments, and even the mirror begins to smile back differently.
Signature :
Skin tone is just a mask.
And you don’t need a face wash to remove it—
Just a little awareness… and a lot of courage.
