'Tum Ho Naa' Today Episode: Rajeev Khandelwal Leads Charge Against Color Bias, Standing Tall With Dr. Reema

07 July 2026, Mumbai: An important conversation around colour bias and beauty standards unfolded on Tum Ho Naa - Ghar Ki Superstar as Rajeev Khandelwal stood alongside Dr. Reema while she spoke about growing up hearing comments about her skin colour and the impact those remarks can have on a child's confidence.

Opening up about her childhood, Dr. Reema recalled, "Ek simple incident bataungi. Jab main bahut chhoti thi, shayad 3-4 saal ki. Meri do sisters hain, very beautiful, very fair. Hum jab kahin jaate the toh mazaak mein, hamari Marwadi language mein kehte the ki, 'Tujhe toh sukhane mummy ne chhat pe chhod diya tha, isliye tu kaali ho gayi.' Unko lagta tha woh mazaak kar rahe hain, par jo aise vaakya ek chhote bachche ke saamne baar baar bole jaate hain ki, 'Teri behen ko dekh, tujhe dekh...' woh kahin na kahin baith jaata hai."

(Let me share a simple incident. I was very young, probably three or four years old. I have two sisters who are very beautiful and very fair. Whenever we went anywhere, people would jokingly say in our Marwadi language, 'Your mother left you out on the terrace to dry, that's why you became dark.' They thought they were joking, but when a child repeatedly hears things like, 'Look at your sister, and then look at you,' those words stay with you somewhere deep inside)

She further shared how these comments unknowingly shaped many of her choices while growing up. "Brown pehenogi toh aur brown dikhegi, black pehenogi toh dikhai nahi dogi. Yeh bahut aam baat hai aur bahut logon ke saath hota hoga." ('If you wear brown, you'll look even darker. If you wear black, no one will even notice you.' These are very common remarks, and I'm sure many people have experienced them)

Sending out a message to parents, Dr. Reema further added, "Please apne bachchon mein yeh guilt mat daliye. Agar aap kisi ko dekh rahe hain toh unka hunar dekhiye, unka colour kya hai, kad kya hai, baal kaise hain... yeh maayne nahi rakhta." (Please don't make your children carry this guilt. When you look at someone, value their talent. Their skin colour, height, or hair shouldn't matter)

The conversation also touched upon the fears many women continue to carry because of societal beauty standards. Speaking candidly, Dr. Reema said, "Specially jab hum mothers ki baat karte hain, toh delivery ke baad jo mere rang ki mothers hain, unko ladka hoga ya ladki, usse zyada yeh khayal daraata hai ki mere rang ki na nikle. Yeh fact hai." (Especially when we talk about mothers, after childbirth, women with a complexion like mine are often less worried about whether they'll have a boy or a girl, and more anxious that their child shouldn't inherit their skin colour. That is a reality)

Listening to her story, Rajeev Khandelwal highlighted how deeply rooted these biases continue to be in society. He said, "Yeh bahut basic si baat hai ki koi kisi ke rang-roop par aise sawaal uthata sakta hai." (It's shocking that something as basic as a person's appearance or skin colour can still become a reason for people to question them)

Rajeev further encouraged people to shift the narrative entirely. He said, "Aap na yeh prove kariye taaki log bolein ki hamare bachche bilkul Doctor Reema jaise ho. Wohi rang chahiye humein. Yeh hamare karm hi kar sakte hain." (Live in a way that people one day say, 'We hope our children grow up to be just like Dr. Reema. We want that very complexion.' Only our actions can bring about that kind of change)

Rajeev also shared his personal perspective on beauty, saying, "Mujhe lagta hai ki jo khoobsurti hai, main repeat kar raha hoon, main isliye nahi keh raha hoon kyunki aap yahan khadi hain. Mujhe lagta hai khoobsurti jo hai, yeh jo colour hai, yeh rang... mujhe jab bhi koi mujhse saanvle rang ka insaan milta hai, main bolta hoon ki kitna khoobsurat rang hai aapka." (I truly believe this, and I'm repeating it not because you're standing here. To me, beauty includes this complexion, this skin tone. Whenever I meet someone with a dusky complexion, I always tell them, 'You have such a beautiful skin tone.')

Emphasising that appearance should never become a source of insecurity, he added, "Jaise kehte hain, surat par mat jao, seerat par jao. Woh toh bade log kehte hain, samajhdaar log kehte hain. Aur mujhe aisa lagta hai ki aapke andar kabhi woh complex nahi aana chahiye." (As the saying goes, don't judge by someone's face, judge by their character. Wise people have always believed that. And I feel you should never allow such a complex to take root within you)

The emotional moment soon took a heartwarming turn when Dr. Reema's husband spoke about the woman he sees beyond society's labels. Expressing his admiration, he said, "Actually Reema se shaadi karne ke baad jo bhi main hoon aaj, woh Reema se shaadi karne ke baad hoon. Pehle main kahan tha aur aaj main kahan hoon. Woh actually mere liye superstar hai. She is a diamond for me, in real words." (Everything I am today is because I married Reema. If I compare where I was before and where I am now, the difference is because of her. She truly is my superstar. She is a real diamond to me)

He further revealed that despite opposition from others before their marriage, he always valued who she was as a person. "Bahut saare log oppose kar rahe the ki yaar yeh saanvli hai, yeh hai, woh hai. But mere liye life partner kaisi hai, woh important tha. For me, brains are more important than beauty and that is what I see." (Many people opposed our marriage, saying, 'She's dusky,' and making other comments. But what mattered to me was the kind of life partner she was. For me, intelligence has always been more important than beauty, and that's what I saw in her)

The heartfelt moment became even more special when he revealed that he had recently bought a ring for Reema despite her insisting that they wait until later.

Together, the conversation became a powerful reminder that beauty is never defined by skin colour, but by character, confidence, and the people who choose to celebrate you exactly as you are.

Watch Tum Ho Naa - Ghar Ki Superstar, hosted by Rajeev Khandelwal, every Monday to Friday at 9 PM only on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.