Whether you’re in India or anywhere else in the world, a woman cannot escape the shackles of unrealistic beauty standards. Not only are they hella toxic but also unattainable. From being told that all bodies must look a certain way, to making us believe body hair is gross, there are so many narrowly defined beauty standards.
And truth be told, India too, is no stranger to these beauty standards. We also have our own pressures such as being thin, tall, and having fair skin. But once in a while, a woman comes as a breath of fresh air and challenges these WTF beauty standards. And we’ve rounded up a list of real Indian women who are beautiful in their own ways and don’t give a damn about what society has to say. Take a look!
Shyja
Fam, let’s be honest. How many times do we end up shaving or waxing before wearing something short or avoid wearing it completely because we have body hair? Not just body hair, but we’re also constantly threading our upper lips and eyebrows though it causes us immense pain. While some have just accepted this to be the way of life, there’s one woman from Kerala who’s defying all set standards.
Going by the name Shyja, this woman sports a moustache! Having received both appreciation and derision from people online, she’s unfazed by either and keeps it because she loves it. TBH, she’s giving us major #SelfLove goals!
Nandita Das
Not only is Nandita a beloved actress of the country, but she’s also a staunch supporter of ‘Dark is Beautiful’. Having dark skin herself, the actress constantly talks about how all complexions are beautiful and has successfully made her place in an industry that is obsessed with skin colour. In an interview a while ago, she had also said, “Even in the (Indian film) industry when a makeup man or a cinematographer would come and say can you lighten your skin a little, I would put my foot down.” Well, way to go Nandita! More power to you.
Prarthana Jagan
As much as Indians are obsessed with a fair skin complexion, they also want their women to have clear skin. Prarthana, a 25-year-old model and makeup enthusiast is challenging beauty norms on a daily with her skin condition, vitiligo. This condition is characterised by pale white patches on the skin.
As a teenager, she was bullied and even underwent surgery to only realise she loves the way she looks. Today, Prarthana believes that you set your own standards of beauty and helps people online with her content how to fall in love with their skin despite “flaws” determined by society.
Trinetra Haldar Gummaraj
Trinetra is a transgender activist, surgeon in training, and Instagram influencer and talks about how hard it is to fit into idealised beauty norms while not being born biologically as a woman. Recognised as Karnataka’s first trans-woman doctor, she has also made it to the renowned Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List 2022.
Lakshmi Agarwal
NGL, we can’t talk about Indian women who are breaking beauty standards without including Lakshmi in our list. An acid attack survivor, she not only speaks up for the rights of acid attack victims, but also advocates the idea of being your own kind of beautiful. She was also awarded the International Women of Courage award by US First Lady Michelle Obama and is making us women proud all over the world.
It’s 2022, and it’s high time that we accept that all women are beautifully different. We make our own beauty norms and kudos to all the Indian women who’ve carved the path for us!
Featured Image: Instagram
