National Award winning makeup, hair and prosthetic designer Preetisheel Singh, who has designed the looks for characters in many acclaimed films like Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Andhadhun and 102 Not Out, wants to take look designing in Bollywood to the next level.

Emerging as the undisputed No 1 in her profession, she is craving for more and more challenges. “Since my teens, I have been a big movie buff and mostly fascinated by the fantasy genre. I landed up being a software engineer, but in one way or the other, my heart was always into the art form,” confesses Preetisheel.

“Two of the initial movies which left an impression on me were Chachi 420 and Planet Of The Apes. The transformation of all the characters were absolutely brilliant. I realized that doing something like that would be a dream come true for me.”

Preetisheel, who received rave reviews for her work in the Tamil science fiction thriller 24, says that when she sees Hollywood film series such as Avengers, Fantastic Beasts, Harry Potter or even movies like Avatar, Batman, Wonder Woman or even a Jumanji, she wonders why we can’t attempt similar subjects in Bollywood. “I guess, the time is just right and we can safely take the leap,” she says.

Though she points out that it’s challenging to execute prosthetics in India, mainly due to lack of FX material supplies, Preetisheel says she stocks up raw material whenever she gets a chance.

Because of this shortage, she along with her husband Mark D’souza have also set up India’s first makeup and prosthetic lab called Da Makeup Lab in Mumbai; a special effects makeup studio, which caters to prosthetics, body painting, tattoo work and character designing. “The goal is to bring standards of makeup and prosthetics in India at par with Hollywood,” concludes Preetisheel.

Coming up next are more innovative looks she is designing for films like the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer Thackeray, Atharvaa-starrer Boomerang, John Abraham-starrer Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW), Kangana Ranaut-starrer Panga, Salman Khan-starrer Bharat and the film Chhichore with an ensemble lead cast.

San Francisco-based Madhuri Murli, along with select students of the philanthropic platform Flute Theory, have raised over thousand dollars in funds from a Bollywood live song and dance series in California recently.

“The team worked hard to perfect each move on stage, stayed late nights, practicing to help each other and stay synchronized as a team,” says Madhuri.

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Last night was special. Not just coz we worked hard to perfect each move on stage, spent late nights practicing to help each other stay synchronized as a team. . •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . . Not just coz of the amazing response we received for both our pieces which was so worth all our efforts. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . But because this performance was bigger than us. We touched lives and transformed the way we can give back to our brave Indian soldiers for their sacrifices and come together as one family. I’m proud to say that we raised over $1000 that we will be donating to the families of Indian Martyrs via India’s Bravehearts (Bharat ke veer) . ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . I’m so proud of each one of us to have brought our best selves on stage. A special shoutout to one of my favorite people, Katina who we dearly missed on stage but her thoughtful gestures and presence brought us so much joy. 💕 . ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . None of this would have been possible without the support of amazing people at @arieldancestudios who have been our family and cheerleaders, giving us a platform to make this difference from helping us with lights, sound, props, tech and backstage. We are one big dance family here at Ariel. 💕💕 . ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . At Flute Theory, each performance is bigger than us. We look out for each other, transform communities, touch lives and evolve with every performance. It’s why we do what we do. 💕💕 . •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . @arieldancestudios @snapchris @nehasemlani @rituchhabriya @sweta1404 @bharatkeveerofficial . •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . . #artist #performer #stage #show #flutetheory #danceforacause #singforacause #lights #arieldanceproductions #danceshow #instadance #dancersofinstagram #singersofinstagram #dance #performerlife #artistsoninstagram #artistoftheday #ootd #creativedirector #choreographer #dancedirector #director #creativity #passion #love #giveback #philanthropy #indiasbravehearts #bharatkeveer

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“The performances were bigger than us. We touched lives and transformed the way we can give back to our brave Indian soldiers for their sacrifices, in an effort to come together as one family. I’m proud to say that we raised more than $1000 (over 70,000 rupees) that we will be donating to the families of Indian martyrs via India’s Bravehearts (Bharat Ke Veer) initiative,” she informs.

‘Bharat Ke Veer — India’s Bravehearts’ is Indian government’s homage and support initiative to pay respect to the brave hearts who have laid down their lives in the line of duty. Madhuri and her team is thrilled at the “amazing response” received. “It was so worth all our efforts,” she concludes with a smile.

Her team acknowledged Madhuri’s efforts with glowing words. Thanking her for her “awesome choreography and vision,” Ritu Chhabriya said she was “lucky to be part of the dance show.” Abhilasha Choudhari stated that “it was another amazing performance and that too, for a heart-warming cause.”

Neha Semlani thanked Madhuri for inspiring her and giving her the opportunity to get back to dancing. “I’m fortunate to be a part of a worthy cause. Thanks for always pushing me to do better and making our dance routine so much fun,” she said. Sweta Mehta echoed the sentiments saying, it was an “honor to be a part of this great cause.”

Life for Zulfi Syed couldn’t be better! Ever since the supermodel-actor turned DJ, he has been gallivanting all over the world doing what he loves — playing music.

Recently, Zulfi headed to Prague, the capital of Czech Republic, where he razzle-dazzled an elite corporate audience comprising of GM Electricals staff. The trip arranged by Harvey India, gave Zulfi a “unique experience of understanding how Bollywood is viewed by Eastern Europe.”

“The folks there are crazy about our music and culture. Just like yoga, most westerners love the mention of Bollywood,” quips Zulfi, who also got a chance to visit the illustrious John Lennon Wall there. The wall dedicated to the co-founder of The Beatles, is filled with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles’ songs.

Prague seems to have got our desi dude so excited that he headed to Budapest in Hungary for another assignment, driving straight for five hours at a stretch. “Honestly, time and distance hardly seemed to matter as I passed beautiful farmlands, which made me nostalgic as they reminded me of my hometown.”

Not many are aware that Zulfi hails from Coorg in Karnataka and belongs to a family of farmers of coffee plantations.

Salman Khan is known to be one of the most charitable actors in Bollywood. He is often said to personally help poor and needy people in and around Bandra where he resides. His charitable organization Being Human is at the forefront of helping the helpless and underprivileged. But not many may be aware that what Salman is to Bandra, Radhe Maa is to Borivali.

She not only helps the poor with clothes and students with books, but also indulges in various animal care activities from time to time. This Diwali, apart from running a campaign for a noise-controlled Diwali and green crackers, Radhe Maa took to the streets in Borivali (the burgeoning suburb of Mumbai where she resides), to distribute shawls, sweets and gift hampers to slum dwellers.

Most of the people living in hutments and shanties knew her, as she is a regular there with charity visits. But many were surprised that Radhe Maa was wearing a green outfit, instead of the traditional red attire she is normally seen in.

When asked about the reason behind the change of colour, she said, “We celebrate Diwali on this day as Lord Ram, returned to Ayodhya after completing fourteen years of exile in the woods and defeating demon king Ravana. It was a victory of light over darkness and good over evil.”

“Just as hariali (bliss) returned to Lord Ram and his family, I am also celebrating a colourful Diwali by breaking away from the norm,” she said with a smile.

In support for the Supreme Court decision on Diwali firecrackers this year, Radhe Maa launched her own campaign ‘Pyaar Wali Diwali’ which emerged a huge success.

In and around Borivali suburb in Mumbai, where she stays, Radhe Maa propagated the cause with hoardings, posters and banners saying, “Say no to firecrackers this Diwali.” She even ran Twitter posts with hashtags #PyaarWaliDiwali and #Safediwali.

Her campaign included posters showing cows, birds, cats and dogs; pointing out how troubling it is for pets and other animals to tackle noise created by firecrackers, Diwali bombs and rockets. “Saying no to firecrackers will show that you care for animals. Teach your children to be kind to animals. They will grow up being kind to people,” read the message on her posters. Her campaign for a noise-controlled Diwali was welcomed by most residents in the city.

Though a thick haze engulfed Delhi after Diwali celebrations, Mumbai skies were relatively clear and the pollution and smog levels were lower than most years in the past. “It’s a significant development, but just a beginning. Much more work needs to be done by us as a society too,” said Radhe Maa.

“In future, we should all take more effort and care that the two-hour time-slot for firecrackers is strictly adhered to. Also the green firecrackers initiative needs to be implemented by all,” she added.

“We all have to work together to make our world a better place for us, as well as for plants and animals. Because all of this plays a major role in our ecosystem,” she concluded, promising that she will continue campaigning for reduction of noise pollution as well as for animal care.

After a hattrick this year with Padmaavat, 102 Not Out and Mulk, National Award-winning makeup and prosthetic designer Preetisheel Singh is once again on a high with the success of AndhaDhun. Here’s an interesting tête-à-tête with the lady.

What was so special about AndhaDhun compared to the other films you have handled makeup and prosthetics for?

This movie did not require heavy prosthetics like many of the other movies that I have done, but giving Ayushmann (Khurrana) a blind look required a special kind of lens. The lenses were custom-made for the character to make it seem realistic. These are not the ordinary lenses that you get in the market, these are ‘Scleral lenses’ that cover the entire visible part of your eyes. The only downside to these are that they blur your vision, but Ayushmann was really co-operative and did an amazing job considering he actually couldn’t see much.

Is it easier or more difficult to design characters where the character does not have a prototype; like caste, creed or historical relevance?

I wouldn’t say difficult, but it is more time consuming, as they don’t have pre-set look-traits that I can use to build up a character. It’s the little background details like where they grew up, what is their religious background, what are their habits, what do they like or dislike — small things like this help maneuver and create a character design.

Did the fact that you have worked with Ayushmann Khurrana earlier make your job easier?

Ayushmann is a fantastic actor to work with. The fact that I’ve worked with him in the past has helped build a rapport with him that makes the environment more comfortable to work in, for both him and me. He is a very positive and fun person to work with. There were a lot of constraints on him due to the lenses, but he still worked brilliantly with them and made it all seem so easy.

Sriram Raghavan is considered to be quite a meticulous director. Was he very demanding with the looks?

Working with Sriram Sir was like a dream come true, because I grew up watching his movies like Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddar. And working on a thriller was on my check list which is finally ticked off. He had a very clear vision in his head as to what he wanted and when I presented him with the designs, we both were on the same page. So that made both the discussion and the execution very smooth.

How was it working on the other characters in the movie?

It was really interesting creating the different characters because every character has a significance in the movie. Going through the script, I could slowly visualize what the characters would look like based on the role they had. And there was a lovely lineup of actors cast for the movie that fit the characters perfectly making my job a lot easier, as it’s easy to conceptualize something when you have a face in mind. And having worked with many of them on previous projects, it was a smooth sailing in terms of execution.

Were you expecting such rave reviews for a movie with such an unusual storyline?

Guess the tradition created with Sriram Sir’s movies lives on. He always comes up with brilliant stuff and it shows on screen.

Runaway successes put more pressure on everyone. How do you deal with that?

The pressure sometimes becomes very overwhelming when the expectation levels continue to shoot up. The best thing to do is keep creating with a steady and calm mind with regular de-stressing breaks.

Which was the most difficult character to work on for AndhaDhun?

Ayushmann’s character was a little tricky, especially working with the lenses. I wanted to design something that would justify the character and give it a very realistic look, so that took a little time. And every character was important in their own aspect so due diligence was given to each character.

How are you going to celebrate the success of AndhaDhun? Do you take breaks after each success?

I would love to take a break, but sadly my work is not permitting of that. I am currently working on a couple of other projects and they’re keeping me busy. Maybe a nice little dinner with my team to celebrate the success of AndhaDhun is something that I see happening soon.

Years ago, when Julie Andrews turned out to be a performer who could also sing and act out her songs in the Hollywood classic The Sound of Music, she was lauded for the feat. San Francisco-based Madhuri Murli has probably taken inspiration from that, but has taken it further.

Apart from live singing and performing her numbers, Madhuri also writes, composes, produces and choreographs them. And that is what really makes her stand out in the crowd. It’s another thing that most of the time when Madhuri is in a crowd, it expects her to dance. But the lady loves it.

Having produced many music videos and conducted numerous live performances, she is now training Californians in Bollywood stagecraft. “Apart from yoga, which is a rage in the US, people are always intrigued about Bollywood song ‘n dance. I practice it and perform regularly at events. So I thought, it’s time to train others to master the art,” says Madhuri, who is grooming many youngsters under her philanthropic platform Flute Theory.

It is interesting to note that one of her live performances has garnered more than a hundred thousand views on YouTube.

“It’s one thing to sing in a recording studio, but performing on stage requires great poise, confidence and timing. It’s a very different skill set — almost a confluence of mind, body and soul — and that’s what I teach,” she reveals.

But if you thought that’s all to this entrepreneur; hear this! Madhuri is also a computer science engineer by degree and a successful product marketing manager by profession at a tech company in Silicon Valley. Whoa! What can we say but that, some women have all it takes to make life happen and transform ideas into reality.

Alex Reece, who played the main villain in the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Sajjan Singh Rangroot this year, has predicted that the next James Bond villain could be based on Russian president Vladimir Putin.

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I can tell you, Diljit sings in English very beautifully and with great charisma too. A powerhouse of inspiration and creativity! #sajjansinghrangroot #friensdhip #comrades #sangat #seva #ancestors

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In the casting call for Bond 25, the casting execs are reported to have advertised that they are looking for a Russian male, who needs to be “charismatic, powerful, innovative, cold and vindictive” and a female character described as “intelligent, brave, fierce and charming.”

“I don’t know about the female character, but the description of the male one sure sounds like a certain Russian president to me,” says Alex with a wicked smile. The British actor who has worked in Hollywood flicks, is also known for his appearance in a mega-budget James Bond commercial starring Daniel Craig.

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My new hat! #trilby #stjames #racclub #christies #style #bestofbritish

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Alex points out, “Many of the initial Bond movies were made during the Cold War, but since Daniel Craig took over, that Russian element has been missing.”

“Now with allegations about Russian interference in American elections, Russia is back in the picture. Having a negative character with comparisons to Putin or his KGB secret service past, can work new wonders for the Bond series,” analyses the Rangroot villain. Interesting take, indeed!

Meanwhile, Alex is himself going to have a Russian connection soon. His villainy act in Sajjan Singh Rangroot is heading to Russia, with the film’s dubbed version all set to release there in the last week of October.

This year has been a great one for National Award-winning make-up, hair and prosthetic designer Preetisheel Singh. Starting out with the blockbuster success of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat, where she created the looks for Shahid Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh as the wicked Alauddin Khilji, she also designed the endearing looks of Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor for Umesh Shukla’s runaway hit 102 Not Out.

Last month, the makeover wiz had her hattrick clincher with Anubhav Sinha’s Mulk; a gripping take on Muslim patriotism in a Hindu-majority India. The film not only made an indelible mark at the box-office, but managed to effectively send out a fabulous message of equality and brotherhood.

The lady is excited about the Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer AndhaDhun next. “I’ve got a chance to work with Sriram Raghavan for the first time. It’s a cool flick and I’m proud to be the makeup designer for it,” says Preetisheel, who has also just finished her work for Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW) with John Abraham donning multiple looks. But she quips that RAW is gonna be a “surprise package” so she can’t reveal about the looks as of now.

And finally there is Thackeray, where Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays the role of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray. “The praise received by Thackeray’s teaser was humongous. I’m grateful to the makers who have entrusted me with this responsibility. Am a bit anxious too and have my fingers crossed,” she adds.

At the pace Preetisheel delivers one memorable character look after another, it’s obvious there’s no looking back for her.

There are people in this world whose lives are guided by money, fame and position. And then there are some who go about their lives following their dreams with dollops of passion. San Francisco-based Madhuri Murli is one such person.

A multi-faceted personality, Madhuri is a computer science engineer by degree, product marketing manager by profession at a tech company in Silicon Valley, singer, composer, writer, lyricist, choreographer and philanthropist — all rolled into one.

As a founder of a philanthropic platform called Flute Theory, she has conducted many live performances and even released six music videos, four out of them being her own original compositions. Earlier, one of her live performances “Shubhaarambh and Nagada Sang Dhol” went viral and garnered over 1.5 million views.

This month, along with select students of Flute Theory, Madhuri is all set to launch a Bollywood dance series in California, with live song and dance performances to Bollywood style fusion music.

Madhuri informs that “Flute Theory intends to donate all the funds raised from this series to the Indian government’s homage and support initiative ‘Bharat Ke Veer — India’s Bravehearts’, to pay respect to the brave hearts who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.”

“Dancing and singing to Bollywood songs gives us great joy. And what better than singing and dancing for a noble cause,” she adds. Here’s wishing her and her team great success.

The first season of the Netflix series Sacred Games met with tremendous response. And the catch phrase, “Sab marr jaayenge, sirf Trivedi bachega” almost became iconic. So much so that, it was the most shared line from the show on social media and even attracted loads of speculation as well as memes.

But not many have noticed that as far as the female characters go, most of the main female characters die in the series, with the exception of Zoya, played by Elnaaz Norouzi.

So can we say, “Sab marr gaye, Elnaaz bach gayee”!! (wink, wink) The lady will have a pivotal part to play in the second season. “The response to the first season was much bigger than what I had imagined. So I’m definitely looking forward to the second season,” says an elated Elnaaz.

Inspite of hailing from Iran and having studied in Germany, Elnaaz is particularly proud of the fact that she has herself dubbed her dialogues in Sacred Games, where she features along with established stars like Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte.

In fact, Elnaaz who actually knows seven languages, has perfected her Hindi diction. Directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, the series is based on Vikram Chandra’s critically-acclaimed novel of the same name.