Comedian and actor Jamie Lever, daughter of veteran comic Johnny Lever, has opened up about her struggles with body image and colourism during her childhood and early career. In a candid interview with Hauterrfly, Jamie shared that growing up as an obese child with darker skin tone came with its share of insecurities and bullying.

 

Jamie revealed she often received harsh and insensitive comments about her appearance. “Kaali hai, chudail lagti hai, chudail jaise hasti hai, you are ugly, you won’t get work in the industry, tu marr kyu nahi jaati…” she recalled. “I’ve been hearing things like ‘Aisi shakal waali ladkiyon ko film nahi milti’ all my life. Colourism is such a huge issue here. I was often advised to apply ubtan, turmeric masks, and other remedies just to ‘become fair’.”

 

She also spoke about how her body image was impacted early on. “I was plump and obese. I used to cover my body in long kurtas, and even family members asked me to cover my hips because I have a bigger posterior. I have a pear-shaped body—what am I supposed to do about it?” Jamie shared. “I didn’t like myself for the longest time. My body was an embarrassment. It took me years to learn to love and own my curves.”

Jamie credited her mother for pushing her to start working on her fitness, given the industry’s narrow beauty standards. She began sharing her workout journey on social media to inspire others facing similar pressures.

After debuting on television with Comedy Circus Ke Mahabali in 2013, Jamie went on to make her Bollywood debut in Kapil Sharma’s Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon (2015). She has since appeared in Housefull 4, Bhoot Police, Yaatris, Crakk, and the Telugu film Aa Okkati Adakku. Known for her mimicry videos, Jamie has also built a loyal following online for her comic sketches and impressions.