Preetisheel steals hearts with Bunty Aur Babli 2

Bollywood’s most lovable crooks are back with Bunty Aur Babli 2. The trailer is out and the film is about to release soon. While Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan are playing the senior con artistes, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari Wagh are the upstarts who are out to rob the ‘brand name’ of the original pair.

While the various looks of the much-awaited film are the talk of the town, one person who is really really happy with the tremendous response is makeup and prosthetic character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza. The lady who is known for creating transformative looks for actors in numerous films like Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Housefull 4, Haider, Rangoon, Mom, 102 Not Out, Thackeray, Bala and Chhichhore, has once again outdone herself curating various looks for Bunty Aur Babli 2.

“It’s been a roller coaster ride,” quips Preetisheel, who recently also acquired a lot of critical acclaim for the various characters played by Divya Agarwal in the ALTBalaji web series Cartel. “When the pandemic hit, everyone was worried about the pace of the film industry. But the way things are picking up, it’s as if we are rolling at double the speed. And I for one, am not complaining,” she cheerfully adds.

Of course she has all the reason to celebrate. It’s been one of the most momentous years for her. Chhichhore won a National Award for best film, her Tamil action thriller where she curated the look for Southern superstar Vijay broke box-office records, and apart from Bunty Aur Babli 2, she has got yet another huge project in Allu Arjun’s multilingual Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1 coming up for release.

For the record, apart from being the No. 1 hair, makeup and prosthetic look designer in Bollywood, she runs India’s premier outfit Da Makeup Lab along with her partner husband Mark D’Souza. The lab’s building is a landmark in the posh Versova locality of Mumbai.

Media raves about Divya Agarwal’s Cartel character transformations by Preetisheel Singh D’souza

Compares them with Hrithik Roshan’s look transformations

The news media is going ga-ga over the various character transformations of Divya Agarwal for the web series Cartel. Designed by character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza of Da Makeup Lab, the various looks show the Bigg Boss OTT winner in different stunning avatars.

An article in Desi Martini praises the looks to great heights saying, “The actress seems to have recreated Hrithik Roshan’s Doom 2 shape-shifting success with her role in Cartel.”

It notes that in one of the transformations into an old man, one “can hardly tell it’s her, thanks to the amazing prosthetics, and in another, she’s a cleaning lady, eons away from what she looks like in real life.”

Recently, Divya shared a time-lapse video of her transformation, diligently being done by makeup and prosthetic specialists of Da Makeup Lab which specialises in hair, makeup and prosthetics, having its landmark base in the high-end Versova locality of Mumbai.

Along with the video, the actress penned a long note saying, “This is how I spent my birthday on 4th December 2019, friends and family were waiting for me at home for celebrations and I was just so proud to start Cartel on that day! This was the cast for my prosthetic makeup, took nearly 2 hours with all my senses blocked except for my nose! I was calm, composed and yet my heart was jumping! There were calls flowing in continuously for birthday wishes, I wanted to scream and share this good news but I couldn’t! somewhere I knew my birthday gift was special that year, it was my last birthday celebration with my dad and I told him I’m doing a web series of your favourite genre and he was very happy.”

Divya plays an assassin in the crime thriller which has been released on Alt Balaji. The series has garnered a very high 8.9 out of 10 rating on IMDb.

Preetisheel transforms stylish Boman Irani into an urban common man

Ace character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza has sprung up yet another surprise with her transformative looks for actor Boman Irani in the latest Ambuja Cement ad.

The versatile and stylish Boman plays a simple common man in the ad, who is desperately seeking a bank loan from a resistive bank manager played by another talented actor, Vinay Pathak. When Boman’s loan doesn’t get approved, he ends up hatching a plan to rob the bank.

Boman is shown aging as time passes, with the situations in the ad taking a hilarious turn. In contrast to the funny tone of the ongoings, Preetisheel has designed some unique desi urban common man looks for the actor, which add to the charm of the proceedings in the ad.

The hair, makeup and prosthetic character designer is currently tapping new horizons by creating medical prosthetics as well as planning a makeup and prosthetics school in Mumbai.

On the film work front, she is gearing up for the release of Allu Arjun’s Pushpa, where the southern superstar has been given a very raw and rustic look.

Apart from that Preetisheel’s recent work for Ekta Kapoor’s web series Cartel has also been in the news. The way the makeup and prosthetics specialist has transformed actress Divya Agarwal, designing five different characters for her, is to be seen to be believed.

Padmaavat, Chhichhore character designer creates artificial eye for lady

National Award-winning character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza who has designed varied characters for film stars in movies such as Padmaavat, Bajirao Mastani, Housefull 4, Thackeray, Bala, 102 Not Out, Andhadhun and Chhichore, recently helped out a lady with a missing eye. Preetisheel created a silicon eye for the lady’s appearance, as a gesture of goodwill.

Sharing some interesting images on social media, Preetisheel wrote, “There are moments like these which give us utmost satisfaction and joy, doing what we do… Like creating an artificial eye for Orbital Prosthesis for a lady with a missing eye. Prosthetics go beyond film sets and actors. Blessed to have such gratifying experiences with our work.”

Character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza designs artificial silicon eye.

Apparently, The hardest part of making an eye prosthetic is the iris, as it needs to resemble a person’s healthy eye as much as possible. This is hard to achieve with conventional methods of manufacturing.

Preetisheel has earlier designed characters for various actors in very prominent Bollywood as well as Southern films. Apart from being the No. 1 hair, makeup and prosthetic character designer in Bollywood, she runs India’s premier outfit Da Makeup Lab along with her partner husband Mark D’Souza. The lab’s building is a landmark in the posh Versova locality of Mumbai.

Character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza.

After Preetisheel’s recent gesture of creating the prosthetic eye, executives at Da Makeup Lab are also mulling over the idea of venturing into medical prosthetics in the near future.

It can be noted here that Preetisheel’s was recently featured by international website USA Newshour among the top best 5 makeup and prosthetic designers in the world, along with Hollywood stalwarts such as Kazu Hiro, Christian Tinsley, Jordu Schell and Neill Gorton. Also, she was the only woman featured in this top list of world-famous makeup and prosthetic designers.

Nagarjuna is very humble and grounded, says Preetisheel Singh

National Award-winning makeup and prosthetic designer Preetisheel Singh who has designed the looks for actors like Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, recently got to work with superstar Nagarjuna.

Starting off curating his look for a promo of Telugu Bigg Boss some time ago, she looks forward to work with him again. “Till last year, I was really looking forward to meeting Nagarjuna Sir, as I have grown up watching quite a few of his movies. When I finally did meet him, I found him to be such a warm and welcoming person,” says Preetisheel, complimenting the superstar who will be completing 35 years of his career next month.

“You wouldn’t expect such humility from a person of his stature but he is one of the most humble and grounded stars I have ever met. It was a pleasure working with him and I really hope that we work together again,” she adds.

For the record, Preetisheel Singh has earlier worked for many popular Bollywood films such as Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Chhichhore, 102 Not Out, Mulk, Bala, Andhadhun and Housefull 4. Along with her work partner-husband Mark D’souza, she has also set up India’s first makeup and prosthetic lab called Da Makeup Lab in Versova, Mumbai.

Sushant might have felt a bit vindicated today, says Preetisheel Singh

Makeup and prosthetic look designer Preetisheel Singh who created all the young and old looks for Chhichhore, feels Sushant Singh Rajput would have felt vindicated if he was alive today.

Congratulating Team Chhichhore on bagging the Best Film National Award, “There is hardly any bigger satisfaction to cherish for a creative people, than getting due recognition. The National Award has etched Chhichhore looks in public memory forever.”

Talking about Sushant Singh Rajput and his untimely demise, Preetisheel says, “He sure deserved much more and had a lot to achieve. This National Award for Chhichhore might have made him feel vindicated.”

In fact, Preetisheel herself won the National Award for her first film Nanak Shah Fakir. Apart from Chhichhore, she has earlier worked for huge box-offices successes such as Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, 102 Not Out, Mulk, Bala and Housefull 4, and designed looks for many A-listers including Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor.

Preetisheel has also set up India’s first makeup and prosthetic lab called Da Makeup Lab at Versova, Mumbai. Her goal is to bring standards of makeup and prosthetics in India at par with Hollywood.

“Ranbir Kapoor’s exuberance is infectious and his passion enduring,” says Preetisheel Singh

National Award-winning makeup and prosthetic look designer Preetisheel Singh, who recently created a transformational look for Ranbir Kapoor in the recent Asian Paints Ultima Protek advertisement, is super elated by the viewers’ positive response to it.

“It’s always a pleasure when your work is noticed and appreciated,” gushes Preetisheel. “Moreover, Ranbir’s exuberance is infectious and his dedication and passion for his work enduring. On the sets, he was always chilled out, a fun person to work with, ready to experiment with looks and super focused at his art,” she recalls.

Conceptualized by Ogilvy India, the quirky Asian Paints ad is directed by the renowned director Prasoon Pandey. It portrays the versatile Ranbir Kapoor in a never-seen-before avatar as a matchmaker, trying to find the right groom for an NRI girl as they travel through a town which takes housing lamination to the next level.

For the record, look designer Preetisheel Singh has earlier worked for huge box-offices successes such as Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Chhichhore, 102 Not Out, Mulk, Bala and Housefull 4, and designed looks for most A-listers including Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor.

Preetisheel has also set up India’s first makeup and prosthetic lab called Da Makeup Lab at Versova. Her goal is to bring standards of makeup and prosthetic in India at par with Hollywood.

Preetisheel Singh transforms 10-year old girl into a 90-year old

It is not often that we see drastic and dramatic makeovers which stun us to the extent of giving us an ‘OMG’ feeling. So when one like that happens in the course of a short 45-second advertisement, it does surprise us.

One such advertisement happened this week when makeover wiz Preetisheel Singh turned a 10-year old girl into a 90-year old with makeup and prosthetics.

The National Award-winning character designer, Preetisheel carried out an elaborate look transformation on this little girl for a public initiative by Star TV network, promoting a cleaner, pollution-free tomorrow.

The short clip is all about bringing awareness to the bad quality of air we breathe in and how it ages our insides. And it’s been dealt with in a very smart and safe manner.

“What can happen if children continue to breathe this air? Drive one day less for #CleanAirEveryday,” prods the post accompanying it on social media. The advertisement urges us to hope and work at having cleaner, clearer air and less pollution in future.

For the record, Preetisheel has designed looks for a number of top artists in Bollywood’s box-office successes such as Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Chhichhore, 102 Not Out, Mulk, Bala and Housefull 4. Her other credits include movies such as Andhadhun, Thackeray, Shivaay, Haider, Hawaizaada, Rangoon, Brothers, Talwar, Finding Fanny, Parched, Mom, Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW), Malaal, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Raat Akeli Hai, Panga, Ujda Chaman, House Next Door, Bigil, Boomerang and 24.

Along with her work partner-husband Mark D’souza, Preetisheel has set up India’s first makeup and prosthetic lab called Da Makeup Lab in Mumbai. The talented lady is now preparing to launch the Preetisheel School of Character Design.

Preetisheel Singh feeds animals in Pathankot

Preetisheel Singh - Pic 38

Not many are aware that Bollywood’s No1 hair, makeup and prosthetic look designer Preetisheel Singh is crazy about pets and animals.

“Leave her in a zoo and she can forget me for a full day,” jokes her work partner and husband Mark Dsouza. Together, they run the premier studio Da Makeup lab in Versova, Mumbai, which has curated the looks for the topmost stars and films such as Padmaavat, Chhichhore, Bala, 102 Not Out, Thackeray and Housefull 4.

Put up at her hometown Pathankot during the Coronavirus lockdown, Preetisheel’s day begins with feeding cows and then stray dogs around her colony. Once in a while, even horses from a farm nearby.

Preetisheel Singh - Animal care 11“The lockdown has dealt a blow to all of us. But we humans are blessed with enhanced thinking and can find myriad ways of survival. But that is not the case with many animals. They don’t have the same luxury and depend on humans for food,” says Preetisheel.

“So just as we take care of our kin, it’s important to spare a thought, some love and food for their well-being too,” she adds. Her compassion is very touching indeed.

Top 10 transformational looks from hair, makeup and prosthetic designer Preetisheel Singh

When it comes to transformational looks and makeovers, National Award-winning hair, makeup and prosthetic designer Preetisheel Singh is the undisputed No. 1 in Bollywood. She has also set up India’s first make-up and prosthetic lab called Da Makeup Lab at Versova, which has emerged a landmark. Here’s a list of the Top 10 looks she’s designed, which impressed every Bollywood buff. What’s more! Most of the films have emerged big money-spinners at the box-office.

1) Chhichhore

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The film had many characters which needed character designs as well as ageing. Preeetisheel had to keep that in mind while curating the looks. Plus, all the characters in the film were being drastically transformed in looks for the first time, which made her job all the more special. But she made sure that the looks matched their characters and also kept them as realistic as possible, which was loved by the director Nitesh Tiwari. Preetisheel designed multiple young and old-age looks for an ensemble lead cast. The film turned out to be quite spectacular. It went on to cross the Rs 200 crore mark at the box-office.

2) Padmaavat

2) Padmaavat

Designing the looks for Padmaavat led to creating the look of the evil ruler Alauddin Khilji (played with aplomb by Ranveer Singh), which turned out to be one of the most iconic villainous characters in Indian cinema, not just for the performance, but also for the look. Preetisheel’s looks for Deepika Padukone (as the legendary queen Padmavati) and Shahid Kapoor (as the Rajput ruler Ratan Singh) and the other cast of the film also earned her tremendous praise. Viewers and film critics alike, were awestruck with the results. Working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali was always special to Preetisheel (she had worked with him on Bajirao Mastani earlier), because she got all the creative freedom she needed. He trusted her work and that gave her the confidence to design something very unique and different. The film is reported to have earned Rs 585 crore at the box-office.

3) Bala

3) Bala

Bala was a film where Preetisheel designed the looks for both the main leads, which were totally transformed. The balding look of Ayushmann Khurrana was enjoyed by the audiences and so was the dusky look of Bhumi Pednekar. The film became a hit and was hugely accepted by the audiences all over the globe, grossing Rs 171.45 crore worldwide.

4) Nanak Shah Fakir

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This film is very special to Preetisheel as it was her first film as a hair, makeup and prosthetic designer, and even bagged her the National Film Award for Best Makeup. A pre-Mughal historical epic Nanak Shah Fakir based on the life of Guru Nanak, required the most amount of prosthetics done in Preetisheel’s career. She designed the looks for all the characters in the movie. The film released and re-released amid controversy, but went on to become an landmark for its subject and theme. Reminiscing about it gives Preetisheel immense creative satisfaction.

5) Housefull 4

Housefull 4 - Pic 2

For Housefull 4, looks for all the period characters including those of Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Bobby Deol, Kriti Sanon, Pooja Hegde, Kriti Kharbanda and Rana Daggubati were designed by Preetisheel. Media went ga ga over Akshay Kumar’s bald look in the film and it received a huge opening. Akshay also complimented Preetisheel for her work. The song Bala Bala Shaitan Ka Saala too, emerged a rage. Housefull 4 grossed Rs 280 crore worldwide.

6) Bajirao Mastani

6) Bajirao Mastani

This was Preetisheel’s first movie with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It gave her a chance to prove herself to him, as the maker focuses on the minutest detail. All the characters in Bajirao Mastani turned out outstanding and that’s what gave Preetisheel a masterful footing with period films. Especially, Ranveer Singh’s look as the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao earned Preetisheel good recognition. The film was reported to have grossed Rs 356 crore at the box-office.

7) 24

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24 was the first time she got a chance to work with Southern superstar Suriya. Preetisheel found him extremely down-to-earth to work with. 24 was hailed as one of the classiest movies in terms of looks and special effects, and went down in history as great fine art. She got to work with Suriya in more films later. The film earned 150 crore at the box-office.

8) Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW)

8) Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW)

RAW had a lot of disguises on John Abraham who plays a spy in the film. That by itself was super exciting for the makeup and prosthetic whiz. She found him amazing to work with as he was very open to the idea of prosthetics and very patient getting into the various looks. Some of his disguises in the film were so good that even his fans could not recognize him in the movie stills which were released before the film.

9) 102 Not Out

102 Not Out - Pic 2

Creating super-aged looks for Amitabh Bachchan (as a 102-year-old man) and Rishi Kapoor (playing his 75-year-old son) is yet another highlight of Preetisheel’s career. Working for this Umesh Shukla film was interesting for her, but she also admits that it was tense. Apart from their seniority, Preetisheel knew that both Bachchan and Kapoor had worked with some of the best international names in makeup and prosthetics. She did her best. Luckily, they loved the looks and so did the audience. Though the film was not a typical Bollywood potboiler, it earned a handsome 115 crore at the box-office.

10) Mom

10) Mom

Mom had an amazing script to start with and transforming the look for Nawazuddin Siddiqui for the first time was quite exciting for Preetisheel. His receding hairline and buck tooth look in the film, almost made him unrecognizable. The film was a success, earning 175 crore at the box-office. Preetisheel later worked with Nawazuddin again for the film Thackeray, where she transformed his looks into that of the Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray

National Award-winner Preetisheel Singh’s Da Makeup Lab launches makeup contest amid Lockdown

Bollywood’s premier makeup and prosthetic studio Da Makeup Lab, that is responsible for looks created in films like Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Chhichhore, 102 Not Out, Thackeray, Bala, Housefull 4 and many more, launched a makeup contest amid the Corona crisis.

“Post the lockdown, there were a huge number of inquiries coming in about learning makeup and prosthetic, so we thought, why not let people nurture their creativity in this time of isolation,” says Preetisheel Singh, who runs the makeup and prosthetic outfit in Versova, Mumbai.

“The motive of having this competition is to raise spirits during this time. People tend to be more motivated when there is something positive to look forward to when these troubled times end,” she points out.

Called the SFX Makeup Contest, the theme of this online competition is ‘trauma’ (bruised and battered look). It gives a chance to makeup lovers to not only utilize their time during the Coronavirus lockdown, but even win an opportunity to learn from the best. Because three of its top winners will get a chance to attend a workshop with the National Award-winning Preetisheel Singh a few weeks after the lockdown is completely relaxed.]

As per a source at Da Makeup Lab, people have already started responding and are excited about creating looks. The source quips, “We have had a few people even messaging us and asking if they could send in multiple entries, and we say, of course, why not.”

Preetisheel Singh behind South style icon Allu Arjun’s look in Pushpa

National Award-winning look designer Preetisheel Singh, who has designed looks for Bollywood biggies like Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, John Abraham, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shahid Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana and Ranveer Singh, has now teamed up with South style icon and superstar Allu Arjun for his upcoming film Pushpa, creating a look which already has the masses anticipating more.

The makeup and prosthetic designer has done a lot of detailing, including colour, tan, and a hairstyle to match the rugged bearded look of Allu Arjun with piercing eyes. The actor recently shared the first look of the film on social media and the poster instantly went viral.

What’s more! The poster emerged the most liked first look on Twitter with more than 84.k likes in 24 hours. Currently, it has 17.3k retweets and 98k likes on the micro-blogging site.

According to the grapevine, the film is based on red sandalwood smuggling and set in the backdrop of Seshachalam forest, the hilly ranges part of Eastern Ghats in southern Andhra Pradesh. Directed by Sukumar, Pushpa is touted to be an action entertainer, with the shoot being planned after the nationwide Coronavirus lockdown is lifted.

Known for her transformational work in Bollywood, Preetisheel also owns and operates India’s premier outfit Da Makeup Lab along with her partner Mark D’souza.