'Director told me to get a facial and bleach; I lost chance to act in Mohanlal film due to my skin complexion'

Saritha Balakrishnan is an actress who became familiar to Malayalis through cookery shows and serials. She is well known for playing villainous roles in television serials. Recently, she opened up about why she lost her desire to act in films. Saritha also revealed an incident where a prominent Malayalam director humiliated her. She shared these experiences in an interview with a television channel.

"I entered the acting field at a very young age. At that time, a film starring Mohanlal was looking for an actress to play his younger sister. Since I was a newcomer, a few people recommended me to the director. I went to meet him, well-dressed and prepared. The director looked at me for a while and then said that they were looking for an actress suitable to play Mohanlal’s sister."

"The director then told me to get a facial, bleach my skin, and return with a fairer complexion. That deeply hurt me. I already had a fair complexion, yet I didn't understand why he said that. It shattered my confidence. It made me believe that my skin tone was not good enough for films. Eventually, they cast someone else in that role. Watching that movie later was heartbreaking for me. That incident made me lose my interest in acting in films, and now I primarily work in television serials," Saritha said.