Elle magazine went too far in their Dec 2010 issue. Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, featured on the cover of Indian edition of the women’s magazine, was infuriated to find her skin had been photo shopped to a fairer shade.

“She believed that these things don’t happen anymore,” a friend of Bachchan told the Times.  “Not in this day and age when women are recognized for their merit, and not for the color of their skin.”

But this isn’t the first time Elle magazine pulled a lighter one over on us. It happened before to Gabourey Sidibe, the Oscar-nominated African American beauty known for her role in Precious. Elle put out a statement that “nothing out of the ordinary was done” but it is clear that is not the case. There is no way the photo below could not have been altered. Sidibe’s skin tone is clearly two different shades.

Is Elle showcasing a form of racial discrimination? Would a magazine really sell more copies just because the model on the cover has a lighter skin tone? Aishwarya Rai Bachchan believes it is racial discrimination and has decided to take action against Elle magazine.

According to the poll on www.nydailynews.com, when asking “Do you think Aishwarya Rai Bachran has a right to sue?” 71% of the nation said Yes, she is being misrepresented, 22% said no, the magazine holds the rights, and 7% are unsure.

What do you say?