Well-known Bollywood actors and figures have strongly condemned racism and spoken out in public to protect protesters, but have been ridiculed by followers for promoting skin whitening products, a well-known phenomenon in Bollywood.
Actress Disha Patani wrote "all colors are beautiful", a Twitter post which was followed by many comments that pointed out to Patani that she has promoted products that aim to whiten the skin.
Priyanka Chopra, who has also promoted whitening creams, faced a lot of criticism after posting a photo with the caption "please, I can't breathe", the last words of George Floyd as he was held lying by the police in Minneapolis.
A follower pointed out to Priyanka that "no one needs her reaction," referring to comments about Kashmir and beyond. Years ago, Priyanka was sharply criticized for publicly supporting the Indian government and the armed forces for repealing the autonomous status of Kashmir, a country that has caused clashes between India and Pakistan. India's nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also invited to her wedding to Nick Jonas.
Skin whitening creams are not unknown products in Bollywood, as they are widely used. The industry?s most famous actor, Shah Rukh Khan, has also promoted them.
On Twitter, people described the actors as "hypocrites" and others questioned racism within the Bollywood industry, saying "racism is more prevalent in Bollywood" than in all of India. "Forget about being a star if you have dark skin," someone writes .
