Lollywood’s up-and-coming starlet Janice Tessa opened up on discrimination based on complexion in the industry.
The Habs actress was vocal about the conventional approach of several directors and film producers while casting the lead actresses for their projects. In a recent interview with Fuschia, Tessa opened up about being bullied for her dusky complexion.
Tessa expressed her dismay at condescending remarks about her complexion in the comments section on various social media platforms. She addressed the hurtful comments saying, “You have every right to criticize, [like] ‘I’m not acting well, I don’t have better dialogue delivery, I will try and improve myself.”
“There were some people, I wouldn’t name them, but if you want to bag a lead role [in a project], you have to have fair skin,” Tessa recalled. “It wasn’t just one person who said this to me, there were so many people who had the same reason.”
Although Tessa is quite a strong-headed talented actress and least bothered by trolls, everyone has a breaking point. Tessa is now being praised for taking a stance against deep-rooted colourism, which is prevalent in the Pakistani entertainment industry.
The TikTok star turned-actor weighed upon her experiences in the showbiz industry. Tessa essays Zoya in Habs – the youngest sister to lead protagonist Ayesha (Ushna Shah).
Habs airs in prime time every Tuesday on ARY Digital. The drama serial stars A-listers Feroze Khan and Ushna Shah in lead roles, along with Ayesha Omar, Saba Faisal, Hina Rizvi, Isra Ghazal, Javed Sheikh and Imran Aslam.
