Bias against dark complexion is a tragic reality among some Indians; Oldie hit song Hum Kaale Hai to Kya Hua from 1965 Hindi film Gumnaam
A tragic reality of India, which perhaps has reduced somewhat over the years and decades but has still not gone, is the bias towards fair complexion and bias against dark complexion. The shared article reports on an extreme incident and tragedy, but I don't know whether the reporting is accurate. In UP, wife sets man afire for his ‘dark complexion’, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bareilly/in-up-wife-sets-man-afire-for-his-dark-complexion/articleshow/68915764.cms, 17th April 2019
I was reminded of a popular comedy Hindi film song in my youth in 1980s. The song is from the 1965 movie, Gumnaam (a murder thriller which I think was based on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (original title which I read has a pejorative word in today's context and in USA context)).
The main words of the song are: Hum kaale hain to kya hua dil wale hain which means in English: What if I am black, I still am a man of heart (loving man). The actor is the comedian Mehmood.
Hum Kaale Hai To Kya Hua - Helen, Mehmood, Mohammed Rafi, Gumnaam Song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILgrhR9rjyM, 5 min. 50 secs.
The lyrics of the song were popular in the 80s and I think its message was a good message educating Indian society to drop the bias against black skin. Listening now to this comedy (slapstick type and somewhat raunchy) song has reduced the sorrow I had after reading the tragic news article of a North Indian woman setting her husband on fire (which killed him) reportedly because she hated his dark skin colour. Note that the song played to the gallery with its slapstick and somewhat raunchy style but that's how the message got spread to a wider audience.
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An interesting performance of the song by then child actor Junior Mehmood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBABkzlbcT4, 3 min. 15 secs.
I was reminded of a popular comedy Hindi film song in my youth in 1980s. The song is from the 1965 movie, Gumnaam (a murder thriller which I think was based on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (original title which I read has a pejorative word in today's context and in USA context)).
The main words of the song are: Hum kaale hain to kya hua dil wale hain which means in English: What if I am black, I still am a man of heart (loving man). The actor is the comedian Mehmood.
Hum Kaale Hai To Kya Hua - Helen, Mehmood, Mohammed Rafi, Gumnaam Song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILgrhR9rjyM, 5 min. 50 secs.
The lyrics of the song were popular in the 80s and I think its message was a good message educating Indian society to drop the bias against black skin. Listening now to this comedy (slapstick type and somewhat raunchy) song has reduced the sorrow I had after reading the tragic news article of a North Indian woman setting her husband on fire (which killed him) reportedly because she hated his dark skin colour. Note that the song played to the gallery with its slapstick and somewhat raunchy style but that's how the message got spread to a wider audience.
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An interesting performance of the song by then child actor Junior Mehmood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBABkzlbcT4, 3 min. 15 secs.
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