Actor Sai Pallavi, who will portray Sita in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1, has once again drawn praise for staying true to her beliefs after an old interview resurfaced in which she explained why she rejected a Rs 2 crore fairness cream endorsement, writes NDTV.
Known for embracing her natural appearance and rarely wearing makeup, Sai Pallavi said she declined the lucrative offer because she did not want to promote beauty standards that make people feel inferior because of their skin colour.
Speaking to Bollywood Hungama in December 2020, Sai Pallavi said she has never believed in endorsing beauty products that promote fair skin.
“I don’t endorse beauty products. You need to be confident about who you are and your skin colour,” she said.
The actor added that she had seen friends and family members struggle with colourism, making the decision an easy one despite the substantial fee.
Sai Pallavi revealed that one of the biggest reasons behind her decision was watching her younger sister deal with unfair beauty standards.
“I have seen her go through a lot. I am a tone fairer, and sometimes my sister wouldn’t eat vegetables and fruits,” she recalled.
According to the actor, their mother would encourage her sister to eat by saying the food would help her become fairer.
“It hurt me to see that she had to eat things she didn’t like just to become fair. I felt I needed to stand up for that, at least for my sister’s sake. Otherwise, what will I do with all that money,” Sai Pallavi said.
The actor also spoke about her own battle with acne before making her acting debut in the 2015 Malayalam blockbuster Premam.
“I have put myself through so much. I wouldn’t want to leave home. I would just stay at home thinking that people just keep looking at my pimples and talk. They don’t look into my eyes,” she said.
However, the overwhelming acceptance she received after Premam changed her outlook.
“They liked me despite my acne, and I saw how much it influenced children and young teens who felt, ‘She is being liked despite her acne.’ That made me feel a lot more powerful,” she explained.
Sai Pallavi added that she did not want to disappoint fans who accepted her as she was by promoting products that could reinforce insecurities about skin colour or appearance.
On the work front, Sai Pallavi will next be seen as Sita opposite Ranbir Kapoor’s Lord Rama in Ramayana: Part 1, directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
The mythological epic is scheduled to release in theatres on 8 November 2026, with the second instalment expected to follow in 2027.
