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Nia Sharma’s candid words spark an important conversation on colour shaming, self-worth, and redefining real beauty.
Nia Sharma shuts down colour shaming with confidence: ‘I enjoy my brown tone. I am a nice brown toned girl.’”
Living in the spotlight often means being the target of harsh comments, especially about one’s looks. But Laughter Chefs 2 participant Nia Sharma has decided she won’t let trolls dictate how she feels about herself.
“All I know is that with a little bit of makeup, I look pretty nice. I look presentable enough. I am not going to win any beauty pageant today. Am I happy with how I look? Yes, I am very happy. Aap bolte raho kaali hai, dusky hai…bhaad me jao…mujhe kya lena dena hai? Mera bank balance neeche nahi ja raha yaar…It’s sticking…(You can keep trolling that my skin is black, dusky…to hell with people like that…It doesn’t bother me because I know I am earning well,” Sharma said in 2024.
Embracing Her Brown Skin
Nia went on to share how she never let judgments about her complexion define her. “They called me black, dusky and all that. I was dealing with my acne, trying to look pretty, and working on my skin. I never realised what the fuss was about being dusky. I never felt a need to clarify that…I enjoy my brown tone. I love the brown skin makeup. I am a nice brown toned girl.”
She also emphasized that despite the chatter around her, she has remained grounded and content. Speaking to Pinkvilla, she mentioned that she hasn’t changed as a person and enjoys the happy space she currently inhabits.
Understanding Colour Shaming
Sharma’s honesty shines a light on a larger issue: colour shaming. It’s not simply mean-spirited remarks, it’s a deeply ingrained prejudice.
Psychotherapist, energy healer, and life coach Delnna Rrajesh explained, “It is systemic. It is reinforced by the very institutions that claim to celebrate beauty, such as pageants.”
Scars That Last a Lifetime
According to Delnna, colour shaming often leaves invisible scars. “Women and men, decades later, still struggle with self-worth because they were told they were too dark to be loved, too dusky to be chosen, too ‘less than’ to be celebrated. These aren’t just words- they are lifelong imprints on the psyche.”
True beauty, she said, is found in confidence and authenticity. “And yet, the damage runs deeper than contests or comments. Colour shaming attaches value to a completely fake, biased definition of beauty. It traps people in cycles of insecurity, leading to obsessive diets, endless filters, and surgeries that never heal the core wound- ‘Am I enough?’ Therefore, it is a valid intervention when actors like Nia take a stand.”
What Needs to Change
Delnna believes there are two urgent areas of transformation
Representation in media and beauty industries: Complexions of all shades should be celebrated genuinely not showcased as tokenism. Children should grow up seeing people like themselves embraced in popular culture.
Healing and rebuilding self-worth: Therapy, affirmations, and inner child work can help people reclaim dignity and self-love, reminding them their skin is not a flaw but a feature.
Beyond Skin Deep
Delnna sums it up simply: “The truth is simple: skin colour is biology, not identity. Joy, kindness, resilience, empathy, these are the shades that matter. And if society insists on measuring beauty, let it measure the courage of a woman who thrives despite being shamed for her skin. That is true radiance. It’s time we stopped saying kaali hai and started asking ‘khush hai (are you happy?)’ because happiness, not fairness, is what truly glows.”
Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she’s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl…Read More
Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she’s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl… Read More
September 11, 2025, 10:13 IST
