Neil Nitin Mukesh confesses how his fair colour affected his carrer (Image: Express Archive)The obsession with fair skin is as old as human civilisation. Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh once unveiled the rather unexpected aspect of this bias and how it impacted his career. Speaking on LOL (Listen, Learn & Laugh) with Bharti TV, he shared, “Gore hone ka fayda mujhe laga hoga bahut, but meri sabse badi problem bhi wahi hai. Log mujhse humesha kehte the ki sir aap to bade raees dikhte ho to aise hi kirdar shayad aapko denge. But aaj kal woh bhi nahi ho raha na”He added, “Aksar ye dimag me sawaal aata hai ki apne ye kaise maan liya ki main ye kirdar nahi kar paunga.”His words highlight a common but rarely examined assumption — that fairness signals privilege, wealth, or a certain “class look”.So where does this bias come from? Neil Nitin Mukesh says that he was only offered certain kinds of roles because of his skin colour (Image: Express Archive)According to Dr Druhin Grover, Consultant Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Yashoda Medicity, Indirapuram, colour bias is deeply conditioned. “As a psychiatrist, I view colour bias not merely as social prejudice, but as a deeply learned psychological habit—one that quietly shapes how we judge worth, struggle, and even truth.”Historically, lighter skin came to be associated with indoor work and privilege, while darker skin was linked to outdoor labour. Over generations, as per the expert, this evolved into a mental shortcut. “Skin tone became a visual shortcut for class. The brain prefers such shortcuts—they reduce effort—but they also reduce people,” says Dr Grover.Also Read | Why Neil Nitin Mukesh ensures to eat every two hours: ‘I have a condition’How this prejudice plays out strongly in cinema“Struggle is often imagined as darker—sometimes literally painted so,” the psychiatrist notes, referencing past casting controversies. When fair-skinned actors portray hardship, audiences may find it “unconvincing”. “Not because suffering has a colour, but because stereotypes do.”Meanwhile, darker-skinned actors are often confined to limited roles, like Mukesh pointed out later in the podcast — reinforcing the same visual narrative.Story continues below this adBeyond films, the psychological impact is real“Bullying begins early—classrooms echo with slurs masked as jokes, family gatherings with ‘concerned’ advice, workplaces with subtle ridicule,” Dr Grover says. Over time, such experiences can erode self-esteem and contribute to shame, social anxiety, body image distress, and even depression.At the same time, he adds, “Fair-skinned individuals are not untouched either; their pain or struggle is often dismissed as implausible, leaving them emotionally invalidated.”Dr Grover asserts that “Skin colour is not character, class, or credibility. Cinema and society must stop teaching children that colour determines destiny—because dignity has no shade.”Neil’s question — how did you decide I couldn’t play that role? — reflects more than casting frustration. It exposes how deeply appearance still influences opportunity. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BHARTI TV (@bhartitvnetwork) DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.