Elle magazine accused of lightening pictures of Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

THE Indian edition of Elle magazine has stumbled into a race row after allegedly whitening the skin of a Bollywood actress on its cover.
Britain's The Daily Mail Online reports that readers had reacted with anger after it was suggested the fashion magazine might have digitally lightened the complexion of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, a former Miss World who has also starred in Bride & Prejudice and The Pink Panther 2.The 37-year-old appears on the cover of this month's Indian edition.
Inside the magazine, she is again pictured in a series of shots, all showing her with pale skin.
It is not the first time that Elle has been attacked for appearing to lighten the skin of its non-white models.
In September this year, black actress Gabourey Sidibe appeared on the cover of the US magazine with a much paler complexion.