Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Priyanka Chopra, Shilpa Shetty: Bollywood celebs who overcame insecurities about their skin colour

In the glamorous world of Bollywood, the pressure to conform to conventional standards of beauty has always been intense. For many aspiring actors and established stars, one of the most common and profound insecurities has been related to their skin colour. While some have succumbed to the pressure, others have not only embraced their unique skin tones but also redefined the paradigm of beauty. From Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Priyanka Chopra to Shilpa Shetty, here we take a look at actors who overcame their insecurities about their skin colour.

Nawazuddin, who hails from a small town, successfully overturned the conventional standards of Bollywood. However, things have not been easy for the actor as he faced the brunt of colour discrimination in his early days and was often typecast in roles that perpetuated stereotypes. In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, the actor revealed that he applied a lot of fairness creams as he felt insecure about his skin tone. However, nothing changed and he eventually accepted the way he looked.

Priyanka Chopra has come a long way in terms of her career. She has also grown as an individual over the years by overcoming a lot of insecurities that she had during her younger days. In an interview with Allure, the actress revealed that growing up, she didn't see anyone on TV who looked like her. According to her, everyone in Asia wants to get their skin lightened. She added that girls there are told that they're too dark or dusky and that lighter skin is better. Because she is a darker tone, she had issues growing up as a teenager. For a long time she hated her skin colour. However, now she is thankful for her skin.

Shilpa Shetty has created quite a name for herself in the industry with her work. Her sister Shamita Shetty has not been able to match up to her in terms of their acting careers. However, there was a time when Shilpa got very insecure about Shamita's fair skin. In an interview, Shilpa revealed how she felt that after Shamita made her debut, nobody would give her work because her sister looked more beautiful. According to her, she had a dark complexion so she was going through an insecurity phase in her life. She would even blame her mother for her dark skin. However, over the years Shilpa has embraced her skin tone. Today, she is undoubtedly one of the most stylish, fittest and good-looking actresses we have in Bollywood.

Kajol is one of the most loved and popular actresses we have in Bollywood. The actress has, over the years, dealt with body shaming and being called dark in the industry. However, the actress never let trolls define her. She also recently opened up about the allegations of getting a skin-lightening treatment done. The actress said that for 10 years of her life, she was working all the time under the sun, which is why she got tanned. And now she is not working in the sun anymore. So she has got untanned. According to her, it is not a skin whitening surgery, it's a stay at home surgery.

Mithun Chakraborty has garnered immense love and respect for his work in the Indian film industry over the years. However, it has not been a cake walk for the actor. His initial days were ridden with difficulties. In an interview, he revealed how he was often called out for his skin colour. According to him, he has been disrespected a lot for years because of his skin colour. However, the iconic actor rose above it all and became one of the legendary actors in Bollywood.