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Renee Kujur, a model from Bagicha, Chhattisgarh is being hailed as the “Indian Rihanna” for her strikingly similar resemblance to the Barbadian singer. Kujur even shares a similar Instagram handle to Rihanna; Kujur’s Instagram profile is called “badgirlRene” which is a take on Rihanna’s “badgirlriri.”
Kujur faced several challenges growing up as an aspiring young Indian model. She has been ridiculed for having a dark complexion, laughed off the stage during a dress competition when she was just a child, and told the only way she would make it in the industry would be to sleep around to get work.
Despite the challenges she faced, Kujur refused to let them deter her from pursuing a career in modeling. Here’s what you need to know about Kujur:
1. When She Was Just 3-Years-Old, Kujur Was Laughed Off the Stage During a Fashion Show & Called a “Black Fairy”
Kujur told the Hindustan Times about a humiliating experience she faced as a child. When she was only 3-years-old, Kujur participated in a “fancy dress competition” in her school, where she dressed like a fairy.
“As soon as she came on the stage, someone shouted: Dekho delho kaali pari (look, a black fairy) and the auditorium shook with laughter,” the Hindustan Times reports. Kujur left the stage in tears, and twenty years later she is often reminded of the incident.
The Hindustan Times reports: “She smiles and says to herself: kuch pariyan kaali bhi hoti hain, (some fairies are black, too).”
2. Kujur Dealt With Consistent Rejection Due to Her Complexion & Had Makeup Artists Lightening Her Skin Tone for Photo Shoots
Kujur grew up dealing with constant rejection due to her complexion and “unconventional features,” according to the Hindustan Times. At the time, modeling was considered more lucrative for women with fair skin, resulting in Kujur being rejected several times from potential modeling gigs.
Some even told her to sleep around to help her land a job. “They told me all models are into prostitution. I won’t become a model unless I pleased clients. Being dark had already killed my chances,” recalls the model.
When she did find jobs, she had to deal with photographers telling makeup artists to make her “3-4 tones lighter” and would often find her photos heavily photo-shopped, according to the Hindustan Times.
“Sundar ladki ka makeup toh koi bhi kar sakta hai,” she told the Hindustan Times, quoting a makeup artist. “‘The real challenge is to make a dark girl look good and I have done it,’” the makeup artist said.
3. Kujur Credits Her Resemblance to Rihanna as the Reason She Has Continued to Get Modeling Gigs
Kujur never noticed her resemblance to the pop icon until a friend pointed it out, according to the Hindustan Times. The friend shot photos of her without adjusting her skin tone, and she saw the connection immediately. “I laughed off the Rihanna part, but soon everyone was saying the same thing,” she told the Hindustan Times.
She also told the Hindustand Times that the striking likeness between the two made it easier for her to get work. “Photographers would tell their clients that I resemble Rihanna. That way, it was easier to convince them. No one could deny that Rihanna wasn’t beautiful. That sort of worked in my favor. Those who had called me kaali and unattractive has to take back their words,” she told the Hindustan Times.
Kujur thanks her lucky stars for the resemblance to the Barbadian beauty, which has helped her continue to get work. She calls the “Rihanna factor” a “blessing.”
”With such deep rooted prejudice in people’s mind, it would have been very tough to get work,” she told the Hindustan Times. “If I resemble her, how can I be unattractive? That’s how our mind works. I don’t know where I would have landed without Rihanna,” she says.
She hopes to meet Rihanna someday, to thank her. “She is a way turned around destiny for me. I would love to meet her, surprise her and thank her,” she says.
4. She Works for a Company Called Satin Models India and Has Several Thousand Followers on Facebook & Instagram
Kujur’s Twitter account doesn’t have much activity, as she only posted 11 tweets and has a mere 87 followers on the site. However, her Facebook and Instagram accounts are much more actively updated, with 1,568 friends on Facebook and 1,988 followers on Instagram.
Her profile states that she models for Satin Models India, and she posted a side-by-side picture and screenshot of the Hindustan Times article comparing her face next to Rihanna’s.
“Oh my god.. .get your desi indian brown girl Riri ! Fenty beauty !! @badgalriri @fentybeauty @fentycorp @badgalrene,” the post reads.
5. Kujur Has Modeling Experience Ranging From Runway Walks, Catalogs & Look Book’s for Famous Designers
According to Big Break, Kujur is interested in “agencies, cat walk, companies, flair models, music videos, presenters, print, TV commercials, competitions & pageants, events & promotions.”
She speaks both English and Hindi, is 34-years-old and single. Her name is occasionally seen spelled differently as well, sometimes as Rene, Ranee, or Renu.
Some of her experience involves walking for India Runway Week and Asian Designer Week, modeling for a plethora of catalog’s and companies such as Reebok and Nift, and she has “done look book for designer’s like Pam Mehta, Chetan Chiller and Vijay Balhara.” She also worked for the HT CITY campaign.