Who looks more Indian - Page 3

Katrina looks more indian imo

Originally posted by: Pain-in-ur-Neck

Indians come in various shapes, sizes and skin tone. They both look Indian!

And if this was about comparing two Indian girls, then it could be challenged as ethically questionable perhaps. 

However, as two actresses, who play Indian characters in Indian films, it's interesting to discuss this trivial matter... as a matter of character authenticity(?) even if it is bordering on fash-isms 🤪

[...also it's never occurred to me ]

Maybe if we reframe the question: who would look more Indian to an unsuspecting foreign/westerner/gora... ie. a YouTube reactor...

I think Katrina would come out as looking "more Indian"... 😎

During the process of writing this response, it occurred to me that there is an element that we are disregarding... and that is the fact that Katrina Kaif has "had to" constantly "prove" her Indian-ness, partly to be accepted by the industry, and also to improve her public image and be accepted. It's the fact that she is not from India, she's often taken the initiative to delve into and appear to be more in touch with Indian culture(s), which also paid off hugely - and I think it is all genuine too, not a facade.

Kareena Kapoor on the other hand has never felt that pressure. So she is free to go about her daily life and career without a single thought like "oh gooooord, what if I do ____ and ____ will it make me look less Indian and remind everyone that I'm an "alien" entity... even if subsonciously...

EDIT: Further Reading

When Karisma Kapoor signed her first film in 1990, her "look" was a topic of this very same discussion. It was thought that her gora gora looks would prevent her from becoming a top heroine which was her ambitious ambition. It took her quite a few films, but she managed to accomplish the feat and proved the doubters wrong. This I believe was also what allowed an Aishwarya Rai for example to follow through with and capitalise on. 

Note, that both actresses went for what they'd each described as "very Indian girl next door roles" early on. They knew they had to break the audiences' pre-conceived perceptions.

By the time Kareena joined in the fun, things had changed dramatically and especially being Karisma's younger sister, she had no issue with this issue... (side note: I think Kareena's look is less "Eurocentric Beauty"-esque than Lolo and Ash).

Katrina's entry and acceptance in Hindi films should also be attributed to the ladies that have come before her and shaken that barrier, which she has now shattered and how 

Katrina keeps getting questioned cuz she's an immigrant to India while Kareena was born here. Plus Katrina doesn't like discussing her personal life. But that's her prerogative and she doesn't need to indulge anyone.

As for lookwise, like I mentioned Indians do come in various shapes, sized and color. There's a spectrum of skin tone from the extremely fair to extremely dark toned. Even features vary from state to state. So it's rather this stereotypical western notion that Indians only have to brown or dusky, which is far from the truth!