Bollywood: ‘Beyonse Sharma Jayegi’ and other songs that praise fair skin

The makers of Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Pandey’s latest film ‘Khaali Peeli’ have scrambled to appease those outraged by the lyrics of the song ‘Beyonce Sharma Jayegi’, which many have called racist.

Audiences in India were flabbergasted by the lyrics that suggested that Black pop icon Beyonce (pictured) would cower in shame looking at a fair-skinned beauty like Ananya Pandey. Now, the makers have changed the spelling of ‘Beyonce’ to ‘Beyonse’, but the damage has already been done. The tweaking of the tone-deaf lyrics is painfully trite, but Bollywood is a repeat offender when it comes to promoting fair skin as the ideal. Almost every big actor and actress has danced to songs that blatantly promote this standard of Indian beauty. Here’s a look at a few of them…

‘Chittiyan Kalaiyan’ (‘Roy’): While Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandez looked amazing in this song, the track was let down by its questionable lyrics that spoke about her ‘milky white’ wrists and how if the man took her shopping, he gets to kiss it. The woman is blatantly objectified in this song and the lyrics seem to suggest that her fair body is available as barter.

‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen’ (‘Baazigar’): While the credit has to go to the director duo Abbas-Mastan for not plastering white make-up on fresh-faced Kajol, the lyrics of this dance-laden song weren't as kind. There was Shah Rukh Khan who was talking up the greatness of his on-screen colleague’s white cheeks and how it enamoured him. Funnily enough, the visuals did not match with the description of the woman and that was weirdly redeeming.

‘Kaala Chashma’ (‘Baar Baar Dekho’): In 2018, Katrina Kaif and Siddharth Malhotra injected life into this dance-worthy song, but the lyrics weren’t up to the mark. The lyrics meant to suggest that white-skinned women looked best in dark glasses.

‘Churake Dil Mera’ (‘Main Khiladi Tu Anari’): While Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty looked great on screen together, the lyrics from this cop comedy blatantly promoted fair skin as the ideal standard of beauty. The lyrics go something like: “You stole my heart, you go my fair skinned one.”

‘Gori Gori’ (‘Main Hoon Na’): In 2004, Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen and Amrita Rao matched steps to a song that labelled fair-skinned women as desirable. The word ‘gori’, which means fair, is referenced multiple times in a song that talks about what make a woman enticing to a male gaze. Apparently, light skin inspires men to dream.

‘Rock N Roll Soniye’ (‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’): While it was fun to watch this club anthem featuring Preity Zinta and Abhishek Bachchan, it loses its sheen when you pore through the lyrics of this song. Apparently, white skin, black hair and blue eyes rock a hero’s boat. The lady in the song — Zinta — didn’t have blue eyes and underlines how this song was far removed from Indian reality.

‘Dil Dance Maare’ (‘Tashan’): The bleached blonde wig worn by Kareena Kapoor Khan wasn’t the only sore spot in this song. The lyrics that go, “Haan white white face dekhe, dill beating fast”, make you wince. You also wonder why Kapoor Khan, who is light skinned in real life, was made to look even bronzier.