Latest news with #SanRachel
Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Dark, not lovely: What San Rachel's death reminded me about discrimination
As a child growing up in Kolkata, I was often told to 'take care' of my skin, especially as I spent hours training in martial arts under the harsh afternoon sun. What began as seemingly gentle suggestions soon gave way to more pointed comments. By my teenage years, hushed conversations around my marriage prospects had begun, with relatives debating whether my 'darkness' would be a liability. My mother's rules were unspoken but clear — avoid the sun, wear full sleeves even in summer, and always keep a tube of Fair & Lovely close at hand. In so-called progressive Bengal, being 'wheatish' was tolerable. Being dark was not. The recent suicide of San Rachel, a 26-year-old model from Puducherry and an advocate against India's deeply entrenched colourism, hit close to home. Rachel was confronting an entire cultural system that told women like her, and like me, that we weren't enough. That we had to earn visibility by erasing ourselves. Rachel didn't just walk runways, she dismantled them. Crowned Miss Puducherry in 2021 and later Miss World Black Beauty, she challenged every norm that told her she couldn't be beautiful. She went on to create a mentorship platform to uplift other marginalised models. But behind the crowns and accolades was a young woman quietly fighting the crushing weight of depression, online hate, and personal hardship. Her story is painfully familiar. In India, skin colour still determines a woman's worth – her desirability, her marriage prospects, her dignity. Matrimonial ads continue to seek 'fair brides'. Family members still recommend turmeric packs, lemon juice, and ubtans to 'brighten' the skin. Compliments are backhanded, always delivered with an asterisk – she's dark, but pretty. At my cousin's wedding, a guest whispered how 'fortunate' it was that the groom 'overlooked' her dusky complexion because 'everything else is perfect'. She smiled through it. Later that night, she cried alone in the bathroom. Fair & Lovely, the fairness cream that defined generations, was a fixture in most Indian households, including mine. It was rebranded to 'Glow & Lovely' in 2020, but the shift came decades too late. The messaging remained intact: Success and acceptance were for the fair-skinned; the rest of us had work to do. Bollywood, too, plays its part. Leading female actors, many of them naturally dusky, are routinely lightened on magazine covers and on screen. Camera lighting, filters, and makeup are deployed to make them 'camera-friendly' – a coded phrase for paler. Priyanka Chopra, who once endorsed fairness creams, later admitted she was ashamed of having contributed to the culture that had made her insecure. Ironically, in Hollywood, her skin tone was suddenly seen as 'exotic'. This whitening isn't just reserved for women. The industry operates in reverse, too. Fair-skinned actors are often bronzed with darker makeup when portraying characters from marginalised castes or economically weaker backgrounds. In India's visual vocabulary, fairness signifies wealth, privilege, desirability. Darkness is associated with poverty and, by extension, inferiority. The bias is far more than skin-deep. It creeps into job interviews, classrooms, marriage meetings. A friend, an accomplished lawyer, told me she was advised to apply foundation before meeting a prospective groom so she wouldn't look 'too dull'. Her accolades meant less than her melanin. San Rachel spoke publicly about being bullied for her skin as a child, and rejected by modelling agencies early in her career. Yet, she persevered, calling out the deep-rooted hypocrisy of a nation that worships dark-skinned gods but shames its dark-skinned girls. Her death is a sobering reminder of just how relentless this pressure can be. Of how the applause on stage can drown out the silence within. In India, for many women, beauty is not a joy. It is a burden. A battlefield. A lifelong negotiation for validation. We cannot bring Rachel back. But we can honour her. We can carry forward her work, her voice, her vision. It begins by unlearning what we've internalised. By refusing to laugh at that 'dark joke' at a family gathering. By calling out the aunty who insists her daughter shouldn't play in the sun. By recognising and rejecting colourism even when it comes dressed as 'concern'. And maybe, finally, by teaching our daughters, and our sons, that beauty was never meant to be a single shade. Thank you very much.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Model and influencer San Rachel dies by suicide in Puducherry; tahsildar-level inquiry ordered
PUDUCHERRY: San Rachel, a 26-year-old popular model and social media influencer from Puducherry, died by suicide on Saturday night (July 13) at JIPMER, weeks after allegedly consuming an overdose of blood pressure pills. The tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the fashion and influencer community, where she was known for her bold stance against colourism and her outspoken advocacy for inclusivity in the beauty industry. Born as Sankarapriya, San Rachel had married fashion designer Satya in June 2024. According to police sources, she was reportedly under severe financial and personal stress over the past few months. Investigators revealed that she had consumed around 50 BP tablets during a visit to her father's house in Karamanikuppam on June 5. Though initially rushed to government general hospital, she left after two days without completing treatment. Her condition deteriorated over the following days, prompting her husband to admit her at a private hospital in Moolakulam. After several days of treatment , she was finally taken to JIPMER, where she succumbed on Saturday night. Police recovered four suicide notes addressed to her father, husband, and mother-in-law. In these, San Rachel reportedly absolved her family members of any blame. She apologized for withholding the truth about financial matters, particularly a Rs 6 lakh loan she had taken through the wife of her husband's friend to cover wedding expenses—without informing her husband, who believed the costs were borne by her father. In her letter to her father, D. Gandhi, San Rachel had urged him to sell his land and repay the loan to a person referred to as 'Venkat Anna.' She had been requesting financial help from him over the past year, but he had expressed his inability due to other family responsibilities.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
San Rachel, model and advocate against colour bias, ‘dies by suicide' in Puducherry at 26
San Rachel, a model and outspoken advocate for inclusivity in the Indian beauty industry, allegedly died by suicide on Sunday at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) in Puducherry. She was 26. Rachel was admitted to Jipmer after her health deteriorated following an overdose of sleeping pills, allegedly consumed on July 5, according to police sources. She was initially treated at the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and was later admitted to a private hospital in Moolakulam before being transferred to Jipmer. A post-mortem examination is scheduled for Monday. An alleged suicide note recovered from her father's home stated that no one should be held responsible for her death. A Tahsildar-level inquiry has been ordered to examine the circumstances, officials said. Born and raised in Puducherry, Rachel lost her mother at a young age and was brought up by her father, D Gandhi, 57. With his encouragement, she entered the modelling world and rose to prominence despite early rejections due to her skin tone – an experience that shaped her later activism. She won several regional and national beauty titles, including Miss Dark Queen Tamil Nadu (2019), Miss Best Attitude (2019), Miss Puducherry (2020/2021), and Queen of Madras (2022 and 2023). She was runner-up in Miss Africa Golden India (2023). She represented India at events in London, Germany, France, and South Africa. Rachel was also the founder of Rose Noire Fashion Grooming, a pageant and modelling mentorship platform. On social media, she often used her visibility to challenge colourism and promote self-acceptance among young women. She was recently married and living with her husband in Puducherry.
India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Who was San Rachel? Miss World Black beauty winner died at 26 by..., heartbreaking note reveals shocking truth
Who was San Rachel? Miss World Black beauty winner died at 26 by..., heartbreaking note reveals shocking truth Popular model and social media personality Sankara Priya, widely known by her stage name San Rachel, died by suicide on Sunday (14th July, 2025) at the age of 26. Rachel rose to fame in the competitive world of pageantry, where she secured several titles, including Miss Puducherry 2020, Miss Best Attitude 2019, Miss Dark Queen Tamil Nadu 2019, and Queen of Madras in both 2022 and 2023. She had been living in Puducherry with her husband Sathya, who she married last year. San Rachel was struggling with depression? However, behind the success, Rachel was quietly battling mental health issues. Sources revealed that she struggled with depression, due to mounting financial debts. On June 6, she allegedly consumed pills at her home Karamanikuppam after she went to meet her father in the city. Her parents rushed her to the Puducherry Government Hospital, but she reportedly was later moved to a Government hospital. She was experiencing severe body pain and her health began deteriorating. Rachel was then admitted to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research for advanced care. Despite best medical treatment, she passed away on Sunday. What is police's statement on San Rachel's death? According to police investigation, personal pressure and financial debts have led her to take an extreme step of suicide. Her body has been moved to the Puducherry Government Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Police claim that in recent months, she sold her jewellery to raise money for her career. She also took financial help from her father, but he couldn't support her anymore as he had to take care of her brother. The police also found a suicide note, where she mentioned that one was responsible for her death. San Rachel's death has sent shockwaves through the regional and pageant communities, with many mourning her death and expressing more awareness around mental health. If someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, support is available through mental health professionals and helpline numbers.
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
Former Miss Puducherry who spoke against colourism dies by suicide
Former Miss Puducherry and an advocate for inclusivity in the fashion industry, San Rachel, died on Saturday at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER). Rachel, 26, had reportedly attempted suicide on July 5 by consuming sleeping was known for breaking barriers in the fashion industry and championing diversity. Rachel, who lost her mother at a young age, was raised by her father Gandhi, who supported her dreams of pursuing a modelling career. Defying industry biases around skin tone, Rachel emerged as a strong voice against colourism, earning recognition for challenging the dominance of 'fair skin' made a mark by winning the Miss Dark Queen Tamil Nadu title in 2019 and later went on to win MissPuducherry in 2021. Rachel also represented India in international modelling competitions in London, Germany, and France, and actively worked to raise awareness on women's safety to police sources, Rachel, who was recently married, had reportedly been battling depression. On July 5, she allegedly consumed an overdose of sleeping pills and was first taken to the Puducherry Government Hospital by her father. She was later shifted to a private hospital and then to JIPMER, where she passed Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation.- Ends
