Prarthana Jagan

My parents had this dreamy, filmi kind of love marriage. My father was from Tirupattur, my mother was from Lucknow and they met while working together in Chennai and eloped! I was born in Coimbatore and was only 2 months old, when my father was transferred to Bangalore. Our nuclear family became complete, with the arrival of my beloved younger brother Nishok, who is now in the 12th std.
I was 11 years old when a small faint spot on the forehead first appeared and then it spread till my upper lip. After realising that it was vitiligo, the dermatologist suggested theatre make-up and laser treatments. Unfortunately, the laser treatment done by an inexperienced nurse burnt my skin. To hide the scars, I cut my hair into long fringes in the front. During the class, I used to clip it and let it loose during the lunch break. Insecure as I was, I ended up buying a LOT of makeup and spent over 30 minutes each day, putting it on. Despite this I got bullied, many a time I came home in an angry, sad, horrible mood and in tears. I was lucky to have supportive parents who took me to endless dermatologists and paid for all the cures.

Despite my family’s suggestion to stop wearing makeup, I persisted for 8 more years and finally gave it up in February 2016. Around this time, I was hospitalised as I had formations in my fallopian tubes which are considered very rare. I also became allergic to a medicine which caused a near kidney failure. It was then that I realised that life was too short to be hiding behind makeup and I wanted spread the message that ‘one is beyond one’s skin’. Post recovery in March 2016, I started a youtube channel.

It was in August 2016 that our small world turned upside down. My mother developed a blood clot in her brain, which led to a stroke and left her paralysed on the right side. It also robbed my bedridden mother of her memory and she no longer remembers my name, date of birth or anyone else. We are still coming to terms with it.
In 2018, I began modelling professionally with my first project happening in 2019. I am lucky not to have faced any negativity in the modelling line and thankfully my agency has got me projects that make me feel normal. Still it would be nice for people who look at diversity to promote concepts, to also consider it to showcase brands. That way, “unconventional faces” like mine could also become land up with mainstream work.

I believe that we live in a superficial world where media brainwashes us everyday. Acne, black spots, pigmentation, scars and worse even a dark skin are considered as ‘ugly’. For a long time even I believed in this notion. But, once I accepted and learnt to celebrate myself, I was set free. Today, I am proud to flaunt myself the way I really am. I eagerly look forward to the day when my mother can regain her memory to witness how far her timid, insecure daughter has travelled and celebrate this rebirth of her princess!