The new product in the Indian market has raised hackles. Why would somebody want fairer body parts? And now, the intimate ones, shout the feminists. The healthcare company may have only wanted to talk in terms of hygiene ala whiter is cleaner? Then their tagline could be tumhari safedi meri safedi se adhik kaise! The detergent people could have found something else for themselves to boast of their whiteness. If SRK's endorsing a male fairness cream was the rock-bottom, Midas Care has created a new bottom. The bottomline is we may have overthrown the Raj, but our fascination with the fair skin keeps us slaves.
Or does it? Some stunning revelations came my way this side of the world. While the desi market is flooded with fairness products, the English have an obsession with brown skin! The sale of tanning agents, from brown to bronze to whatever other hue one fancies, is just the tip of the iceberg. Come summer and you see the seaside full of bikini-clad women-age no bar- sunning themselves to get that tan that we are trying-so-hard to lighten. As Indian teenagers rely on kitchen remedies like lemon juice, curd, even vinegar, to become gora, the goris here are shuttling from one store to another to pick up the spray that will convert their pale skin to a sultry brown. Who doesn't want to be a diva in this mad ad world. Always starts with the look, doesn't it?
I've grappled with those ugly-ducking insecurities as a teenager, made worse by the fact that bhaiyu was milk white. We both rode to school in the scorching heat but the harsh sunlight did nothing to dim his complexion. As I grew darker by the day, my self-esteem plummeted. It was only gradually that life wizened me to the fact that you need other things to be remarkable, not something as shallow as your skin colour. That never stopped bhai from teasing me though that all my doodh haldi couldn't make me compete with him!
Thand rakh yaar. Go eat some Bhindi Raita. The creamy curd keeps you cool & you are left free to conquer bigger demons. Ye gori chamdi kya cheez hai!
You need:
1. 2 cups diced bhindi (Lady's finger/okra)
2. 2 cups curd/yogurt
3. 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp oil to fry bhindi
4. 1/2 tsp bhuna zeera(roasted cumin powder)
5. Red chilli powder as preferred
6. Salt to taste
You need to:
1. Whisk curd to smoothness by adding salt.
2. Deep fry the bhindi with salt & add it to the curd.
3. Sprinkle bhuna zeera & red chilli powder.
Serve cold with parantha/dal rice combo or whatever else you like. Has green, tastes yum!
Dear Bhai, some angrez ladies here seem to want a 'rich complexion' & a 'sensuous skin-tone' like mine! They also want to know what I do to keep it that way. Should I give away my doodh-besan-haldi secret? Whaddaya say ;)
Or does it? Some stunning revelations came my way this side of the world. While the desi market is flooded with fairness products, the English have an obsession with brown skin! The sale of tanning agents, from brown to bronze to whatever other hue one fancies, is just the tip of the iceberg. Come summer and you see the seaside full of bikini-clad women-age no bar- sunning themselves to get that tan that we are trying-so-hard to lighten. As Indian teenagers rely on kitchen remedies like lemon juice, curd, even vinegar, to become gora, the goris here are shuttling from one store to another to pick up the spray that will convert their pale skin to a sultry brown. Who doesn't want to be a diva in this mad ad world. Always starts with the look, doesn't it?
I've grappled with those ugly-ducking insecurities as a teenager, made worse by the fact that bhaiyu was milk white. We both rode to school in the scorching heat but the harsh sunlight did nothing to dim his complexion. As I grew darker by the day, my self-esteem plummeted. It was only gradually that life wizened me to the fact that you need other things to be remarkable, not something as shallow as your skin colour. That never stopped bhai from teasing me though that all my doodh haldi couldn't make me compete with him! 
Thand rakh yaar. Go eat some Bhindi Raita. The creamy curd keeps you cool & you are left free to conquer bigger demons. Ye gori chamdi kya cheez hai! You need:
1. 2 cups diced bhindi (Lady's finger/okra)
2. 2 cups curd/yogurt
3. 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp oil to fry bhindi
4. 1/2 tsp bhuna zeera(roasted cumin powder)
5. Red chilli powder as preferred
6. Salt to taste
You need to:
1. Whisk curd to smoothness by adding salt.
2. Deep fry the bhindi with salt & add it to the curd.
3. Sprinkle bhuna zeera & red chilli powder.
Serve cold with parantha/dal rice combo or whatever else you like. Has green, tastes yum!
Dear Bhai, some angrez ladies here seem to want a 'rich complexion' & a 'sensuous skin-tone' like mine! They also want to know what I do to keep it that way. Should I give away my doodh-besan-haldi secret? Whaddaya say ;)
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