Beyond the surface: Kerala’s enduring battle with dark skin bias 

Color discrimination in Kerala persists, impacting lives and arts, revealing deep-rooted casteism and racism despite progressivism.

In a State that boasts of progressivism, the harsh reality of colour discrimination continues to shape lives, with dark-skinned individuals facing ridicule, exclusion, and prejudice. From the arts to everyday life, the obsession with fair skin remains deeply entrenched, revealing a painful contrast to Kerala’s celebrated cultural and educational achievements. The revelations of Chief Secretary Saradha Muraleedharan targeting her complexion, further reveal the true state.

When Cuckoo Devaky walked into her Bharatanatyam class at Adyar Kalakshetra, she was met with giggles and whispers. Coming from a small village in Kerala’s Thrissur district, the then teenager was unprepared for the ridicule that came with her dark skin. Her classmates had expected a “cute and bubbly” girl upon hearing her name, but instead, they saw a dark-skinned, plump girl — sparking surprise and discomfort.

“They were taken aback,” Cuckoo recalls.

This reaction was just the beginning of a long struggle with the colourism and prejudice that would shape her journey as both a dancer and a woman. “I used to be the obvious choice for characters with negative shade such as Hidimbi, the rakshasa wife of Bhima, or Thadaka, the demoness in performances,” she says.

After completing her training and returning to Kerala, Cuckoo realised that being a dark-skinned dancer was not easy. “We have to fight for every step. Society scrutinises everything — our clothes, accessories, how we walk,” she says.

Today, Cuckoo, a graduate in Law, practises as a lawyer in Thrissur. But her path has not been without struggle. “Society turned me into a rebel,” she reflected. “I began to challenge its norms and assert my own terms.”

At 45, Cuckoo — proudly dark-skinned and curvaceous — became a model. Her inspiring journey has been captured in the documentary Karuppazhaki (Black Beauty), which explores the “politics of black” in Kerala.