Sameera Reddy recalls colour bias in debut film opposite Sohail Khan: ‘I was made two to three shades lighter’

Sameera Reddy discusses her struggles with body image and colour bias during her early career, revealing how she had to conform to restrictive beauty standards.

Sameera Reddy has been very vocal about facing body image issues during the early years of her career. In a recent interaction, she spoke about facing colour bias during her debut film Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, in which she starred opposite Sohail Khan.

'Was made to wear two to three shades lighter'

Sameera Reddy opens up on facing body image issues.

Speaking to Hauterrfly, Sameera shared how she was made to use foundation that was two to three shades lighter than her natural skin tone so that she could fit the typical heroine look. She said, "In my first film, Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, I was made two to three shades lighter. I almost looked gray! I used to use full body makeup to match the colour of my face with my body. Do you know how many women have it in their own families? Her own parents and in-laws say, 'You're dark or fat.' “What the hell! Who has given the definition of beauty?”

'Took me 20 years'

Sameera also spoke about how such expectations can affect a person's perception of their own appearance and self-worth. She shared that she was made to represent something on screen that was completely opposite to who she was in her personal life and what she believed in. However, it took her almost two decades to fully accept herself and let go of her insecurities.

Sameera has previously spoken about how the pressure to fit into conventional ideas of beauty and glamour affected her confidence. Over the years, she has become vocal about body positivity and self-acceptance, often discussing the insecurities she experienced while working in the film industry.

Sameera Reddy's comeback

After being away from the film industry for 14 years, Sameera recently made a comeback with Abhijeet Mohan Warang's political drama Aakhri Sawal, which starred Sanjay Dutt in the lead role. Before this, Sameera was last seen in the 2013 Kannada film Varadhanayaka.

Sameera Reddy is married to entrepreneur Akshai Varde. The couple tied the knot in 2014 and have two children together: a son named Hans, born in 2015, and a daughter named Nyra, born in 2019.