You have received abundant praise for your work as a make-up and prosthetics artiste in films like Bajirao Mastani, Shivaay, Haider, Mom, Hawaizaada, Housefull 3, Rangoon, Brothers, Talwar, Finding Fanny, Parched, Ghayal Once Again and the Tamil film 24. You have even received a National Award for Nanak Shah Fakir. Does this body of work create very high expectations and a pressure to raise the standards with every new project you undertake?

At the back of my mind, it’s always ticking… that I got to better my last. And I think that happens with every professional who is sincere to her or his core. That’s how you win in the long run. The shorter races don’t excite me as much.

After Bajirao Mastani, how does it feel being repeated by Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Padmavati?

Mr Bhansali has an eye for immaculate detail. Add the stalwart starcast of Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor and all the energy along with every powerful actor on the film… that’s a lot of pressure too. But that’s exactly what kept me going. I deliver in pressure and earning Bhansali Sir’s trust is really really encouraging. So any amount of pressure is worth it.

For another upcoming film 102 Not Out, you have designed the looks for Amitabh Bachchan as a 102-year-old man, with Rishi Kapoor playing his 75-year-old son. Was it tough to make them look like father and son?

Tough would be an understatement here. More so, since both the actors are legendary. I was a baby when they were shining bright and they are still ruling hearts globally. So yes, you got to toughen up and think beyond the aura they exude. Getting deep into the respective characters felt like a duty, because I knew their talent will only take the work we put in much higher. Plus, at their age and stature, it takes a lot of patience to sit and allow so much make-up to happen and then go out and perform. It’s commendable and inspiring. Compared to their perseverance, my job seems easier.

Recently, Rishi Kapoor even praised you in the media for executing his look of a devout Muslim in Mulk.

Oh, what can I say, but ‘Thank you Rishi Sir.’ If he is complimenting, then I sure must’ve done something right. It’s really thrilling to be praised by him. Rishi Sir is a gem of a person to work with. Me and my team have had the pleasure to work with him on two films back-to-back and I look forward to keep transforming his looks in the coming future (winks).

Compared to Hollywood flicks, do you think Indian films are finally coming of age regarding make-up and prosthetics? Or are we still far behind?

We have taken strong strides in recent times. People are more aware of prosthetics, but we have a long way to go.

Do you use Indian raw material? Or do you have to rely on foreign products to get the desired effects? Is shortage of quality raw stock the only reason you have set up India’s first make-up and prosthetics lab called Da Makeup Lab? Or is there some higher goal and bigger purpose or vision in mind?

To be honest, Da Makeup Lab was born out of necessity and now its growing fast with an aim to set higher standards of make-up and prosthetics for our movies. See, there isn’t a proper special-effects material supply shop here. So much so, that it seems our technicians never realized that this could also be a great business opportunity too. Since I can’t compromise on quality, I do end up getting 80 percent of my material from abroad. But it would really be a boon if we begin creating and manufacturing our own raw material for make-up and prosthetics. That would make a huge difference to the look and feel of our films.

In the past, Indian films have often portrayed ghosts in quite a tacky manner. But you changed that with your recent film House Next Door. Can you tell us a bit more about what has gone into the ghosts you designed for the movie?

For The House Next Door, it is the first time that we are showing ghosts which don’t look artificial. A lot of work has gone into creating looks that are extremely believable, yet convincing for the supernatural genre. Film is a medium of expression and good storytelling. And if I don’t do justice to the looks of the characters, it would be really unfair. Eventually, I would want Hollywood to be looking at an Indian film and be baffled by the professionalism in the make-up designs executed by us. That would be an achievement.

In a short span, you have already emerged a market leader in your field. Any plans of moving to Hollywood?

C’mon, don’t spoil me! I have a long way to go and have so much more to learn. I’d love to learn more advanced and newer techniques and implement them in India. Imagine a day when Hollywood can look up in awe at Bollywood… what a day that would be.

National award-winning make-up and prosthetics artiste Preetisheel Singh has once again managed to receive rave reviews for her art with the Siddharth-Andrea Jeremiah horror film The House Next Door, making the ghost flick extremely believable and spooky.

Based on a true story, director Milind Rau’s film is made in three languages. Apart from The House Next Door in Hindi, it has released as Aval (She) in Tamil and Gruham (Home) in Telugu, garnering acclaim for all three versions.

“The film makes audience cower in their seats biting their nails while trying to look away from the screens,” reports The Indian Express. Times of India calls it a “well-executed” and “gripping” film, while First Post says, the “ghost flick is terror-ific”. Preetisheel uses her prosthetic make-up for ghostlike apparitions says Gulf News, “which are way removed from the regular pan-caked powder faces of other Indian films.”

Scroll calls the film a “very well crafted and a commendable addition to the genre” and Bollywood Life writes, the “film manages to scare the daylights out of you.” Apart from critical acclaim, actor Siddharth is ga-ga over Preetisheel’s work. “Her design framework has brought a sense of professionalism to the whole experience of prosthetic make-up,” says the actor.

It can be noted that a few months ago Preetisheel received accolades for the look she designed for Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the Sridevi-starrer Mom. She now awaits the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati where she has designed the looks for Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor as well as Deepika Padukone.

The Indian School of Business (ISB) has been on the forefront in developing, nurturing and guiding tomorrow’s leaders and the ISB Leadership Summit (ILS) has been a key initiative in this direction. Every year, ILS brings together eminent leaders from across the world in a series of dynamic talks and interactive sessions.

This year, the 15th edition of ISB’s Leadership Summit will be held at the Mohali campus on September 22 and 23, 2017, and at the Hyderabad campus on September 23 and 24, 2017. The theme for the summit is ‘Transforming Tomorrow: The Future Unraveled.’ It would focus on the trends that will be instrumental in shaping India’s future, as well as of the world as a whole.

The event is expected to be graced by renowned speakers, who have pushed the boundaries and met challenges in their respective fields. Names such as Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, (Hon. Vice President of India), Dr. Manmohan Singh, (Former Prime Minister of India), Dr. Kiran Bedi (Lt. Governor of Puducherry), Mr. Suresh Prabhu (Minister of Commerce and Industry), Mr. Devendra Fadnavis (Chief Minister of Maharashtra), Mr. Jayant Sinha (Minister of State  Civil Aviation), Dr. K. Radhakrishnan (Former Chairman of ISRO), Ms. Vani Kola (MD of Kalaari Capital), Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal (Chairman of Hero Enterprises), Mr. Kulmeet Bawa (MD – India and South Asia of Adobe Systems) and many more.

The entertainment sector shall be represented at the conclave by Mr. Karan Johar; a trendsetter in the world of cinema. He will speak about the ever-changing face of Indian cinema as well as the challenges and opportunities it has to offer in the near future. His session on the evening of September 23 in Hyderabad shall be moderated by Mr. Akshaye Rathi, a renowned film-exhibitor, distributor and entertainment columnist.

The Indian School of Business (ISB) is one of the premier business schools in India, with campuses in Hyderabad and Mohali. ISB is committed to creating leaders through its innovative programmes, outstanding faculty and thought leadership.

For more details and images, visit https://ils.isb.edu/

When Farhan Akhtar brilliantly transformed himself for the epic Milkha Singh-movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, it was a delight to watch his wondrous feat. But not all achievers get the mileage Bollywood stars get.

Like what Samir Singh is doing for a hundred days is yet another mind-boggling adventure in itself. Samir is not an actor, nor is he prepping for a movie. He’s purely a runner and like all runners, in awe of the legendary Milkha Singh — The Flying Sikh. And because of Samir’s strong spiritual beliefs and his faith in Lord Krishna, he’s fondly called The Faith Runner.

Around three months ago, the ultra marathoner embarked on an inconceivable journey of pushing human endurance to the extreme. He undertook a mission to run 100 kilometers every day for 100 days within Mumbai, covering a total distance of 10,000 kilometers.

Such an extraordinary feat has never been attempted before by any long distance runner anywhere in the world — which makes Samir the first to conceive and attempt this grueling format in distance running. As of this week, he has successfully completed 80 days.

Moreover, he has been accomplishing this run without help from any support group, organization, physiotherapist, masseur, dietitian, nutritionist or media coverage. The only support he has had until now is from his younger brother who cooks for him and some contributions from his well-wishers in the running community.

Interestingly for Samir, filmmakers Vikram and Vandana Bhatti, a brother-sister duo of Marathon Films, who happen to be running enthusiasts too, have begun a Facebook campaign called The Faith Runner (with the unique title coined by Vikram Bhatti). www.facebook.com/TheFaithRunner/.

Here’s hoping that more and more people of the world come together to celebrate, salute and applaud this unsung athlete as he creates history.

A picture of India’s biggest sensation in Hollywood, Priyanka Chopra, is causing quite a stir on Twitter from the last one week.

“As Priyanka Chopra continues to rule the world as a global star, fans and critics are not ready to spare her even for the oldest of things. A picture from an old photoshoot re-surfaced online and Twitteratti is going crazy over Priyanka Chopra’s look in the photo,” reports Hindustan Times with a headline which reads, “Priyanka Chopra’s blonde photo surfaces, trolls call it return of Radhe Maa.”

In the pic, the actress has donned a stunning “red knit dress with a cape-styled detail on the neckline, with bold graphic liner on the eyes and a red lipstick. But what is most striking about her look is the blonde wig”, reads the write-up adding tweets like “Guys, the wait is over. Radhe Maa is back.”

“Priyanka Chopra’s old photoshoot for a fashion magazine resurrected recently and social media decided to troll it while invoking Game Of Thrones, Lady Gaga and Radhe Maa in the process,” NDTV wrote on their website. It pointed out that the picture in question is from a 2015 photoshoot when Priyanka had started gaining popularity in the West, courtesy her television show Quantico, before she signed Baywatch with Dwayne Johnson.

Mumbai-based public relations specialist Dale Bhagwagar who looks after the PR for Global Advertisers, the patrons of Radhe Maa, says he’s “intrigued  by the hullabaloo over the pic.”

“Priyanka is an icon, and so is Radhe Maa. Priyanka is an ocean of achievement whereas Radha Maa is an ocean of kindness. Both are stars in their own right. But to compare the pic to Radhe Maa’s just because the ‘godwoman’ prefers to wear red, is taking things a bit too far,” remarks the Bollywood publicist, who has coincidently also handled the media publicity for Priyanka Chopra earlier.

National award-winning make-up and prosthetics artiste Preetisheel Singh, who is working on Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor and Deepika Padukone’s looks in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-awaited period drama Padmavati, says she is trying to do something different with the looks in the film.

“Padmavati is set during the 12th century, and we don’t have paintings from that era from where we can take references,” she said in an interview to Scroll.in. So Preetisheel has gone ahead and photoshoped  ideas before putting them into practice. She says, though it is an imaginative and time-consuming process, it’s not very difficult for her as she always tries to make the actor don a look that he or she hasn’t had before.

Now anyone who knows even a little bit about Preetisheel would agree to that. After all, she has made a lot of heads turn with her work for actors in more than 15 movies including Bajirao Mastani, Rangoon, Brothers, Mom, Haider, Parched, Hawaizaada, Shivaay, Talwar, Housefull 3, Ghayal Once Again, Finding Fanny, the Tamil film 24 as well as the pre-Mughal historical epic Nanak Shah Fakir for which she won the ‘National Film Award for Best Make-Up’.

Soon her work will also be seen in awaited movies like Umesh Shukla’s 102 Not Out, Vikramaditya Motwane’s Bhavesh Joshi and Sunny Deol’s Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas.

“Besides providing services for any makeup related demands under one roof, my main motto is to provide quality makeup” she adds in the Scroll interview. That is also the reason why she has launched ‘Da Makeup Lab’ a special effects makeup studio, which caters to prosthetics, body painting, tattoo work and character designing.

“Prosthetic has a lot of parts involved in it,” she explains. “You first take the life cast of the actor in 3D measurement after which you sculpt and make moulds, running silicon pieces in it. The silicon pieces are then applied on the actor and are merged with the actor’s skin so that it doesn’t look artificial. So tomorrow if a filmmaker comes up and has the requirement for an alien creature, we can do it.”

National Award-winning make-up and prosthetics expert Preetisheel Singh who curated Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s look for the film Mom, has been receiving accolades and admiration ever since the release of the film. “I’m amazed and humbled by the stupendous appreciation I’ve got,” she says with a smile.

“I’d worked hard on Nawazuddin’s bald look with buck teeth for the film, and I was expecting it to be noticed. But the kind of glowing feedback it has received, is beyond my expectations,” she admits.

“Not only did all the film critics laud the look and character, but audiences including all my friends showered praise. Some sent me colourful bouquets too; another memory I would cherish for a long long time. It all seems like a sudden pleasant dream. Luckily, its reality.”

Preetisheel puts in a special word of thanks for the makers for their faith in her abilities. “It’s because of the faith the filmmakers put in me and the freedom they gave me to experiment, made Nawazuddin’s look turn out even better than planned. Moreover, he is one of those rare actors, totally dedicated to his profession. And that helped a lot,” she remarks.

After bagging the ‘National Film Award for Best Make-Up’ for Sartaj Singh Pannu’s pre-Mughal historical epic Nanak Shah Fakir, this whiz of makeovers has worked on various artistes in films such as Bajirao Mastani, Haider, Brothers, Rangoon, Parched, Talwar, Ghayal Once Again, Hawaizaada, Finding Fanny, Housefull 3, Shivaay and the Tamil film 24.

Coming up next are more varied characters in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, Sunny Deol’s Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, Vikramaditya Motwane’s Bhavesh Joshi and Umesh Shukla’s 102 Not Out. So picture (bahut saari pictures) abhi baaki hai. 😉

Evelyn Sharma never fails to impress us! The Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani actress had yet another Sunny Sunny moment this week. She shared a unique morning gift for her social media fans on her birthday. While Bollywood heads to New York for IIFA, Evelyn leaked a 30-second teaser clip from her upcoming single ‘Land of Dreams’ shot in LA with US-based music producer-composer Brooklyn Shanti.

The clip had her gyrating to the track sung and written by the spunky gal herself.  As the day progressed, she revealed that the song will be exclusively available on Gaana.com, while the full video can now be watched on YouTube.

And while her online fans were thrilled with her new pics and clips, not many realized their striking similarity with the look and feel of the latest promotional campaign of American singer and actress Selena Gomez’s upcoming single ‘Fetish’.

Now whether the design similarity is coincidental or just a naughty move is up for debate. But one thing is sure — Evelyn’s bombshell looks and chirpy voice in the video do steal the show. Her birthday surprise has turned out to be as good as those spicy inside stories the fashion philanthropist shares on her blog Evelyn Secrets.

National Award-winning professional makeup, hair and prosthetics specialist Preetisheel Singh who has worked on the looks of Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor for Umesh Shukla’s film 102 Not Out, is floored by their magnetic appeal. “Even after all these years in the business of entertainment, their child-like enthusiasm and devotion to their art is awe-inspiring,” gushes Preetisheel.

“Their energy and intensity is infectious and exhilarating,” she remarks, “so much so that one can compare it with the current heartthrobs.” She recalls the professionalism with which both the actors would patiently spend hours during their makeup, without once complaining about the time it took. Their focus was like meditation.”

“What’s more! They would chip in their bit with interesting suggestions and even after the meticulous time spent for their makeovers, the team would always find them smiling when their shots were ready.”

When Preetisheel first learnt about the legends coming together after 26 years, she was excited. Her job became even more demanding when she had to work on looks and references with them playing father and son. “Creating that age disparity was a task but it gives me great satisfaction that the makers and actors are happy with the outcome,” she adds.

The movie has Bachchan playing a 102-year-old father to Rishi Kapoor as his 75-year-old son. 102 Not Out is based on writer-director Saumya Joshi’sGujarati play with the actors playing Gujarati characters for the first time.

Since bagging the ‘National Film Award for Best Makeup’ for Sartaj Singh Pannu’s pre-Mughal historical epic Nanak Shah Fakir, Preetisheel has worked on various artistes in films such as Bajirao Mastani, Haider, Brothers, Rangoon, Parched, Talwar, Ghayal Once Again, Hawaizaada, Finding Fanny, Housefull 3, Shivaay and the Tamil film 24.

Her work will be showcased next with Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s bald look in Ravi Udyawar’s film Mom produced by more Bollywood heavyweights Boney Kapoor, Sunil Manchanda, Naresh Agarwal, Mukesh Talreja and Gautam Jain. Coming up after this, would be varied characters in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, Sunny Deol’s Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas and Vikramaditya Motwane’s Bhavesh Joshi. Preetisheel sure has a satisfyingly busy year ahead.

Evelyn Sharma has worked with interesting makers like David Dhawan, Rohan Sippy, Divya Khosla Kumar, Ayan Mukerji and Imtiaz Ali in Bollywood flicks like Main Tera Hero, Nautanki Saala, Yaariyan, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and the upcoming Jab Harry Met Sejal.

But she really surprised the industry further, when she recently became the only speaker from our entertainment industry to address an audience including global leaders on world peace and unity at US president Donald Trump’sNational Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC.

Now it seems Evelyn has a new list of surprises up her sleeve. Turns out, her frequent trips to Los Angeles were not about a boyfriend, but movies in the West. “Super exciting times. Nice to get inquiries and read scripts in LA,” she’s just tweeted.

What’s more! Rumour has it that Evelyn also has an agent in the US. So don’t be surprised if she’s the next from Bollywood to add to the escapades of Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan’s in Hollywood.

And while some of our actors have been prepping their creative juices and boosting their adrenalin looking at international movies, Evelyn’s not even stopping at that. Her recent trip to the States, had New York based music producer Brooklyn Shanti fly down to LA to make more music with her.

Yes! She’s written and recorded a few new songs and shot a music video on her recent trip. Need we say, the numbers can be expected to even better her last attempt at singing ‘Something Beautiful’.

Plus, apart from Jab Harry Met Sejal, Evelyn will also be seen playing the lead opposite Amit Sadh in Jack & Dil. So her year ahead promises a lot.

When Evelyn Sharma had to give a talk at Donald Trump’s National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, she tip-toed to Los Angeles on a holiday. There she was spotted doing yoga on a hilltop, before heading to Washington DC.

At another time, during a photoshoot at the Griffith Observatory of astronomy in LA, she got clicked holding a guy’s hand. Aha! And now from a week, Evelyn is once again in LA.

We know that the lady has done an interesting job in movies like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Main Tera Hero, Nautanki Saala and more. We know that her Yo Yo Honey Singh number Sunny Sunny was a rage in Yaariyan. We know she’s playing a key role in Imtiaz Ali’s much-anticipated Shah Rukh Khan–Anushka Sharma flick Jab Harry Met Sejal.

We know she’s been a showstopper for the who’s who of the fashion scene. We know that the kind of charity her organization Seams with Dreams does, makes her India’s first fashion philanthropist. We know that she’s been shaking a leg with the Kangna singer and music producer Dr Zeus in the Party Nonstop music video.

We know the teeny-bopper is quite happening on her Twitter and Facebook accounts and an icon of sorts on Instagram. We know she even builds houses for the poor under the Habitat For Humanity projects. And we also know that she has launched her blogsite Evelyn’s Secrets where she gives out all sorts of personal beauty and fashion tips.

But what we don’t know is the secret behind her numerous trips to LA! And we don’t know who the mystery guy is… whose hand she held there! Evelyn has not been revealing those secrets on Evelyn’s Secrets. Hey girl, tell us what you have been hiding… tell us, tell us. 😉