Pakistani actresses rejecting whitening cream advertisements

In Pakistan and India, fair complexion and especially the complexion of girls are considered important for their success, good personality, and getting a good job. That is why the business of whitening creams has been going on in the Indian subcontinent for decades and such creams also spend millions of rupees on advertising campaigns.

Whitening cream companies try to get the services of celebrities for advertising campaigns, so most of the advertisements for such creams show showbiz personalities. However, there are some well-known actors in India, including Pakistan, who refused to work in white advertisements despite being offered a hefty salary.

Leading Pakistani actresses include Ayesha Omar, Mahira Khan, Sanam Saeed, Hareem Farooq, and singer Momina Mustahasan. The actresses and singers themselves made the revelation and said that despite the good offer, they did not work in advertisements for whitening creams.

The BBC's Haroon Rashid asked people in his tweet if anyone could tell him the names of Pakistani and Bollywood stars who have refused to work in advertisements for whitening creams. Haroon Rasheed's tweet where ordinary people commented and told him that other actors including Indian actress Kangana Ranaut and Ranbir Kapoor also did not work in such advertisements.

Pakistani actresses also commented on Haroon Rasheed's tweet and several actresses shared his tweet saying that they also did not work in such advertisements. On Haroon Rashid's tweet, actress Sanam Saeed also replied that she did not work in such advertisements.

🙋🏽‍♀️

— Sanam Saeed (@sanammodysaeed) June 5, 2020

Replying to her tweet, actress Ayesha Omar said that she also did not work in such advertisements nor does she intend to work in such advertisements.

This is a genuine question - can you name me Bollywood/Pakistani stars who have never endorsed a skin lightening product?

— Haroon Rashid (@iHaroonRashid) June 5, 2020

Ayesha Omar added that she had been offered to work in such advertisements in the past, but she never intended to work in such advertisements and has no plans to do so in the future.

Me! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I get offered multiple whitening products campaigns every year but been refusing for years. Will not ever endorse any.

— Ayesha Omar (@ayesha_m_omar) June 5, 2020

Actress Mahira Khan also shared Haroon Rasheed's tweet and wrote that she too has never worked in such advertisements and she has refused to work in such advertisements since she was on the radio.

Been refusing ever since I was a VJ till now. Never endorsed a skin lightening product. https://t.co/uGB1vPyaGX

— Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) June 5, 2020

Some people criticized actress Mahira Khan's advertisement for women's unwanted hair removal cream as an advertisement to make the skin attractive, but she did not respond to the critics.

Some people also criticized Ayesha Omar for working in a soap advertisement.