Several Bollywood stars are taking a lot of heat over supporting Black Lives Matter while endorsing fairness products. Dubbed as hypocrites for displaying such double standards, the celebs are also under fire for ignoring domestic issues such as colourism or attacks on minorities.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Garnier Light Ultra), Deepika Padukone (Garnier Fair Miracle), Sonam Kapoor (Pond’s White Perfect) and Disha Patani (Pond’s BB+ Cream) are amongst actors who had appeared in major fairness product ads and are now vocal about the recent protests following the killing of African American George Floyd on May 25.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra) on May 29, 2020 at 10:08am PDT
Last week, Priyanka wrote on Instagram: “There is so much work to be done and it needs to start at an individual level on a global scale. We all have a responsibility to educate ourselves and end this hate. End this race war here in the US, and around the world. Wherever you live, whatever your circumstances, NO ONE deserves to die, especially at the hands of another because of their skin color... George, I am praying for your family.”
Here's your rac*st Pri @priyankachopra selling skin whitening creams in India. https://t.co/IEAvcALzXL pic.twitter.com/JCrE5uAeRR
— Ali Baloch ✌?✌?✌? (@maXes_MB) June 3, 2020
The long caption included how George Floyd was murdered and how people can help support the cause. Her Twittter wall is also flooded with tweets from her husband, singer Nick Jonas, about Black Lives Matter.
List of Indian actors who are speaking on BLM and their fairness cream ads, a thread : pic.twitter.com/yUeRNLch6U
— anti pigeon (@aluminiummaiden) May 31, 2020
Her followers pounced on her statement in the comment section reminding her of “the Garnier skin whitening cream advert” and asking her to “SPEAK UP (about pressing issues in India), OR SHUT UP.”
Calling her out for “selective activism,” rehea19gupta commented: “Dalits, Kashmiris and Muslims in India face similar struggles — yet you consistently and willfully choose to remain silent. You don’t care about anyone but yourself and you choose to speak out selectively to further your agenda. Miss me with the performative activism. Do better.”
— Disha Patani (@DishPatani) May 30, 2020
Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor were somewhat subtle in their protests. They shared quotes from Black Panther and Desmond Tutu about injustice, oppression and “being one tribe” respectively in their Instagram stories where people’s reactions are not public and hence didn’t spark a wildfire.
Disha Patani wasn’t as lucky. Her May 30 tweet “All colours are beautiful” was called “hypocrisy at its peak” for her history of endorsing whitening creams and face wash.
Nothing New here to see.
— Anjali_Sharma☮️? (@TribeccaaAngie) May 31, 2020
Just Another Privledged Indian makin money selling fairness cream on one hand & protesting racism on the other hand.
Hypocrisy died a million deaths here.
PS- Remember the silence during Delhi Pogrom & ANTI CAA/NRC protests. https://t.co/QkIydVxr0I
One tweeter follower Pinky Chatterjee commented: “That's why Kangana is the best among all. She had said that she would never endorse fairness creams. She has refused so many offers from cream companies,” alluding to the fact that several Bollywood stars publicly denounced these products.
The stars are yet to comment on the backlash.