'Mean Girls' star Avantika talks colorism, says she feels 'uglier in India' than in the U.S.
“Mean Girls” star Avantika is speaking out about colorism in India and Bollywood — and how “Bridgerton” stars Charithra Chandran and Simone Ashley give her hope.
“Mean Girls” star Avantika is speaking out about colorism in India and the negative perceptions of darker-skinned women from South India.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan, the 19-year-old actor, who just goes by her first name, said she feels Indian beauty standards malign women with her complexion, and those darker.
“I have definitely always felt uglier in India than I have here,” she said. “The colorism situation is primarily one of the biggest reasons why.”
Growing up, she said, both American and Indian media that she watched failed to portray people who looked like her and were of her particular background. North Indian and light-skinned women tended to dominate across platforms.
“I’m South Indian, and there’s this perception that North Indian women are more beautiful than South Indian women,” she said. “And the South Indian women who do reach insane levels of success in India are very light-skinned — some have become lighter skinned.”
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