Masaba Gupta Opens Up About Receiving Insensitive Pregnancy Advice: 'Eat Rasgullas, Drink Milk For Fair Baby'

Masaba Gupta shared her encounters with racist pregnancy advice, which included suggestions to consume milk and sweets in order to guarantee a fair child.

New Delhi: Famous fashion designer and actor Masaba Gupta is getting ready to have her first baby. She announced her pregnancy earlier this year with her husband Satyadeep Mishra. Masaba recently spoke about the unwanted and indecent remarks she has received throughout her pregnancy, a typical yet troubling experience for a pregnant woman. 

In a candid conversation with Faye D’Souza, Masaba Gupta recalled how her masseuse had told her to consume milk to prevent her unborn child from being born with a darker skin tone.

Masaba Gupta shared, “It happened to me just yesterday that somebody who came up to me for some pre-natal something telling me, ‘You must eat a rasgulla every day' because your kid has to turn out lighter than you. And then, 15 days before that, I was getting another pre-natal massage, because that's what I do, and she (the masseuse) said to me, ‘Aap na doodh liya karo (you should consume milk). Saawla nahi hona chahiye (your child must not turn out dark).' It was said with so much innocence. You have no choice – what can I do? Punch my masseuse?” 

Masaba continued by addressing the colourism in such remarks, venting her irritation at the persistence of the slur "kaali" (dark-skinned. " I find that so absurd. And I'm just giving you an example of a masseuse who comes from a certain section of society. You'll be shocked at how many educated, wealthy, well-read people also feel this way. I'm witness to it till today. It's 2024, and it hasn't changed," she said.

A Look At Masaba Gupta's Career

Masaba is well-known in the entertainment and fashion sectors. She is the daughter of renowned actor Neena Gupta and Vivian Richards, a cricketer from the West Indies. 

She stars in the semi-fictional drama 'Masaba Masaba'. Played by Masaba Gupta, the series follows the lives of the fashion designer as she navigates her unusual upbringing, the various worlds of family and fashion, and her return to dating. Two seasons of the series were released on Netflix.