Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! This is a popular phrase in the English language. It truly captures the essence of beauty. Many wonder if a single beauty standard applies to all, but in reality, no such universal ideal exists.
India, with a large and diverse population, has seen huge changes in the beauty standards over time! From the historical evidence suggesting the craze of dark complexion, full waistline, and curves to the modern obsession with fair skin and lean figure, we have seen huge changes over the period of time.
A glimpse into history!
If we look into the early texts like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, we find an appreciation for both dark and fair complexion. The most prominent beauty figures in these scriptures were of dark complexion. Lord Rama and Lord Krishna are the most beloved forms of Lord Vishnu, who play crucial roles in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. They were of a dark complexion! Krishna itself means dark in Sanskrit.
Draupadi and Satyavati were of dark complexion. Draupadi has been a key figure in the Mahabharata. She was the most beautiful woman of her time. Jayadratha even went so far as to claim that other women appeared like monkeys when compared to her beauty.
Her beauty was defined by her dark complexion, large lotus-shaped eyes, long curls with a bluish hue, and a slender waistline. From then until now, we have seen remarkable changes in the standards of beauty.
How Bollywood Shapes Perceptions of Beauty
One of the major factors influencing beauty standards in the Indian diaspora is the impact of Bollywood and the entertainment sector. Indian people idolize the Bollywood celebrities and pray to them as their fashion icons. They see beauty as defined by the male and female leads of Bollywood.
The early 1960s were dominated by beauties like Sharmila Tagore, Hema Malini, Vyjayanthimala, Mumtaz, and others. Actresses of that era were admired for their well-defined curves, often accentuated by body-hugging sarees and suits. Winged kajal, false eyelashes, and bold eye makeup were key fashion trends, designed to highlight the prevailing obsession with large eyes. At the time, beauty was defined by fair skin, large eyes, thin lips, and an oval face.
The 1980s witnessed the rise of actresses like Sridevi, Rekha, Jaya Prada, and others. It was a different phase, as Bollywood began experimenting with new interpretations of beauty. Dusky complexions, fuller figures, untied long black hair, and shimmering lipsticks came into vogue. The era of winged liners had faded, but prominent eyelashes remained fashionable. Everything was about glitter and gold. The positive shift was that Indian skin tones were being embraced more openly during this period.
By the 1990s, a new wave of fine actresses such as Karisma Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Aishwarya Rai, and others set fresh trends in Bollywood. Long black hair gave way to shorter, curly styles, often with a brown tint. Karisma Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai laid the foundation for the slim body figure and straight-hair fashion that became iconic. This era also marked the rise of pale-skinned beauties with a more Westernized look. The brown and green eye colors of Karisma and Aishwarya introduced fresh ideals of beauty, inspiring girls to aspire to slim figures and lighter complexions. Skirts became a new fashion statement, while pink and red lip colors gained prominence. This was the beginning of the new-age beauty standards in Indian cinema.
The desire for Western features and looks led to the rise of a new generation of actresses who bore greater resemblance to the West than to traditional Indian women. Actresses such as Katrina Kaif, Jacqueline Fernandez, Kareena Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt shifted beauty ideals toward milky-white skin, brown hair, and slim figures.
There were, however, notable exceptions. From time to time, talented actresses like Kajol, Bipasha Basu, and Deepika Padukone rose to prominence, embracing their naturally darker complexions. Yet, the unfortunate reality is that even after gaining immense acceptance from audiences, many still opted for skin-lightening treatments to appear paler, further reinforcing the obsession with fair skin among younger Indian audiences, rather than breaking the taboo surrounding darker skin tones.
Although the obsession with fairness remains strong, the choice of clothing and makeup styles has transformed significantly. Large eyes are no longer considered a necessity in defining beauty. Actresses like Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, and Alia Bhatt often embrace the small-eye makeup look. A new trend has also emerged, fuller lips and sharper noses, which has fueled the rise of cosmetic surgery. Nowadays, such procedures are no longer rare; even ordinary people have begun accepting them and often undergo multiple treatments in pursuit of beauty. Yet, it is fair to say that these standards of beauty will also evolve with time. People cannot remain bound to one definition of beauty for too long, as human nature tends to tire of sameness quite easily. Change, after all, is only a matter of time.
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