The Role of Media in Shaping South Asian Women’s Self-Image: Time for a Change
Every ad, every drama, every film — they tell us something. But for South Asian women, the message they’ve been receiving for decades is as clear as it is cruel: You must look a certain way to be loved, successful, or even seen.
That “certain way”? Fair-skinned. Thin. Soft-spoken. Perfectly put together.
From Bollywood blockbusters to prime-time soaps, the media has been a mirror that distorts rather than reflects. And the damage it’s doing? It goes far deeper than just vanity. It’s impacting mental health, identity, and how an entire generation of women see themselves.
Beauty as a Burden: The Unseen Weight Women Carry
Let’s face it — the media’s portrayal of beauty in South Asia is aggressive, unrelenting, and painfully exclusive.
Bollywood films like Student of the Year, Kabir Singh, Dil Dhadakne Do, and Kalank all parade the same archetype: slim, fair, conventionally “feminine” women whose worth is often tied to how desirable they are. Even characters who are meant to be “strong” or “unconventional” are rarely allowed to stray far from the beauty ideal.
In contrast, plus-size women or those with darker skin are either ridiculed, sidelined, or made to undergo some transformation arc to “earn” their happy ending — if they get one at all.
Pakistani dramas, while often more grounded, have also been guilty of reinforcing beauty hierarchies. However, shows like Pyari Mona and Oye Moti challenge those norms — pushing back against the idea that a woman’s size determines her worth. These stories are a breath of fresh air — but why are they still the exception?
The Psychological Toll Is Real
This isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about self-worth. About mental health. About how women grow up learning to critique their bodies before they’ve even learned to love themselves.
Eating disorders. Depression. Social anxiety. A constant sense of inadequacy.
The damage doesn’t stop when the credits roll. It echoes in changing rooms, family dinners, and wedding halls. In hushed comments from aunties. In the quiet agony of young girls comparing themselves to unattainable ideals on screen.
We internalize what we see. When the media idolizes only one kind of beauty, it teaches every girl who doesn’t look that way that she is “less.”
It’s Not Just About Inclusion—It’s About Liberation
Representation isn’t about charity. It’s about justice. It’s about letting every South Asian woman know: You don’t need to shrink yourself to be worthy.
We need leads who are plus-size and powerful. Dark-skinned and desirable. Women with stretch marks, scars, textured hair, and unfiltered beauty. Not as jokes. Not as sidekicks. But as fully developed, dynamic protagonists who take up space unapologetically.
Streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime have the opportunity — and the responsibility — to push this change further. So far, we’ve seen shows like Meri Bhavya Life or Dhai Kilo Prem tentatively start this conversation, but it needs to go mainstream, not remain on the margins.
Time for a New Narrative
We cannot afford another decade of women starving themselves for visibility. Of young girls bleaching their skin to feel acceptable. Of mothers passing on insecurities like heirlooms.
The media has the power to uplift or unravel. To liberate or to shame. And right now, it’s time for a reckoning.
To the writers, producers, directors, and streaming giants: We are done waiting. Give us stories that celebrate the full spectrum of South Asian womanhood — in all its shades, shapes, and voices.
Because the way women see themselves should be shaped by truth, not tyranny.