Aishwayra Rai Bachchan on the cover of Elle India, and at an awards ceremony earlier this month. Photos: ElleIndia, AFP/Getty Images
Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has said she might sue over the colour of her skin on the cover of Elle India's December issue.
According to theTimes of India, a source said that on seeing the image "Aishwarya's first reaction was disbelief," adding that Aishwarya "believed that these things don't happen anymore. Not in this day and age when women are recognised for their merit, and not for the colour of their skin. She is currently verifying this skin-whitening allegation. If there is any proof of this, she might even take action."
In September, US Elle was accused of lightening Precious actress Gabourey Sidibe's skin colour on the cover of its 25th anniversary issue.
The cover caused complaints from readers who believe that her image had been altered to conform to Caucasian standards of beauty. Editor-in-chief Robbie Myers defended the images, explaining, "At a photo shoot, in a studio, that is a fashion shoot, that's glamorous, the lighting is different. The photography is different than a red carpet shot from a paparazzi."
What do you think? Has this image been purposefully whitened, or is it the unintended result of the fashion shoot's lighting? Leave a comment below and let us know.