“This Is Not Aesthetics, This Is...”: Chennai Makeup Artist Nirmala Mohan Calls Out Colourism In Cinema
Nirmala Mohan, the Chennai-based makeup artist who earlier went viral for celebrating dusky brides through natural bridal makeovers, is now drawing widespread attention for her powerful post against colourism in cinema and the beauty industry.
In a strongly worded Instagram post, Nirmala spoke about how films have silently shaped society’s understanding of beauty by repeatedly placing fair skin at the centre while pushing darker-skinned women into the background.
“Cinema did not just entertain us. It silently conditioned us,” she wrote, adding that fair skin has long been associated with beauty, purity, desirability, and importance on screen.
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In her post, Nirmala Mohan also shared a deeply personal reflection on how cinema normalised colour-based beauty standards for years without many viewers questioning it.
Calling one particular visual “one of the most disturbing frames” she had come across, she admitted that she once ignored such imagery because the music, cinematography, and filmmaking felt artistic and beautiful.
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However, she said she later realised how repeatedly cinema positioned deeper skin tones in the background while lighter skin continued to be framed as the symbol of beauty, purity, and importance.
Questioning why darker-skinned women are often visually used only to elevate fairness rather than being celebrated equally.
She further criticised the irony of darker skin being treated as an “aesthetic” in cinema while real dusky women often remain underrepresented or sidelined.
“This is not aesthetics. This is conditioning.” Nirmala further stated that she strongly objects to fairness being glorified while naturally dusky women remain sidelined, even as fair skin is artificially darkened for cinematic aesthetics. According to her, skin tone should never be used as a tool to define beauty, value, or importance on screen, she wrote.
Without naming specific films but adding some photos of Tamil movie scenes, her comments triggered fresh conversations online about colourism in Tamil cinema and the entertainment industry.
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Nirmala Mohan had earlier become popular on social media for her bridal makeover videos that focused on enhancing the natural beauty of brown and dark-skinned brides instead of lightening their complexion through makeup.
Her work was praised by many users who said she respected natural skin tones at a time when several bridal makeover trends were being criticised for excessive “whitewashing.”
Many brides also appreciated that they still looked like themselves after the makeover rather than appearing heavily altered.
Her latest post on colourism has now gone viral, with many users supporting her for openly addressing an issue that has existed in cinema and media for decades.
