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Outlook: I hated the word 'albino'

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Mala Bhargava smiles at the camera. She is an albino woman with long white hair and bright blue eyes

09/03/2021 GMT

I hated the word 'albino'

BBC World Service - Outlook, I hated the word 'albino'

Mala Bhargava learned to accept her white hair and skin when her face became famous

Mala Bhargava struggled to accept her white hair and skin, until her picture in the magazine she wrote for made her famous across India.

When Mala Bhargava was growing up, she found it hard to accept her appearance. Born with albinism, she had white hair and pale eyes and impaired vision. Her Indian mother was ashamed; she felt Mala's condition was a punishment. Mala hated being pointed at on the street and felt angry towards those who teased her.  But the 1990s technology boom in India was to open up a whole new world for her. She began to write a successful column for a magazine and next to it was her picture. The face she had struggled to accept became recognisable across the country. She found fame, popularity and a new acceptance of how she looked. 

Goran Bregovic is one of the biggest names in Balkan music. He's sold more than 15 million albums worldwide and leads an energetic 40-strong brass band playing a blend of Gypsy music, traditional Balkan rhythms and rock, inspired by his hometown Sarajevo. Jo Fidgen spoke to him in March 2017.

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Picture: Mala Bhargava
Credit: Mala Bhargava

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