MUMBAI: Actress-filmmaker Nandita Das says the obsession with fair skin has been there in the Indian society for much longer than one can imagine. She says the messaging around skin colour can be very dangerous.

The Manto director has time and again brought to the forefront issues surrounding societal perceptions on darker skin tones.

Talking about it further on web show The Girl Tribe, Nandita stressed on the need for parents to be conscious about how they converse with their children on such matters.

(Also read: Female actors still stereotyped in their portrayal: Nandita Das)

What do you think of Nandita Das?

"As a kid they would say, you have got nice features but poor thing you are dark. Thankfully, my parents didn't put me through that kind of complex. Unfortunately, even though parents love their children, they don't realize they say these things constantly - 'Don't go out in the sun, you will become dark'. I think this obsession with fair skin has been there for much longer than we imagine it to be," Nandita said.

She recounted how skin colour has always been a starting conversation.

"Every article of mine used to be written as dark and dusky Nandita Das. Women suffer from such low self-esteem due to these ads... It's not just about putting a nail polish, it's not about beauty, it's actually telling you, 'You are not good enough, you can't get a lover, a husband, a job, you are going to make your parents sad'. It's like the dooms-day. The messaging is actually very dangerous," she added.

(Source: IANS)