looks

One look at this picture and you might wonder how similar the look is to the character of Dr Kabir in the superhit Shahid Kapoor-starrer Kabir Singh.

But hold it, it’s not who you think! This young lad is actually debutant actor Samarpan Singh and he insists he is “very very different” from the self-obsessed man-child character of Dr Kabir who makes his painful way into a sort of adulthood in the movie.

“I am nothing like that,” laughs Samarpan, who recently made his debut in the web series LuvDown. The series was watched with appreciation and anxiety by viewers during its initial run on Disney+ Hotstar and has got a fresh lease on YouTube. Laced with sarcastic humour, LuvDown is a rom-com revolving around the story of a couple stuck together in a flat during the pandemic.

“Don’t judge me by the looks,” quips Samarpan. “I’m much more chilled out than the ultra-hyper Kabir. I don’t believe in putting a stamp of ownership on people, and my friends say that I am one of the most understanding and accommodative friends they have had in their lives,” says Samarpan.

But if there can be one thing similar to Dr Kabir Singh’s character (apart from his current look), what would that be, we ask Samarpan. “I think that would be his passion,” quips Samarpan who is actually also a doctor in real life.

Don’t be surprised if you soon see this intelligent and handsome intense-looking new talent in Bollywood.

“This level of appreciation is a real blessing,” says makeover specialist Preetisheel

Telugu superstar Allu Arjun’s highly-anticipated action-thriller Pushpa: The Rise created a storm at the box-office soon after its nationwide release in various languages. The Part 1 of the movie broke all the records to become India’s biggest grosser of 2021, with a worldwide collection of Rs 173 crores on the first weekend.

Fans who watched the movie flooded social media with appreciation about Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil’s performances, their unique looks and makeovers. Some called it a masterpiece for the direction, while others appreciated the actors’ looks and transformation that makes the characters look more realistic and believable.

The talent behind all the makeovers (from Allu Arjun’s to Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil’s), Preetisheel Singh D’souza, finds herself a little short of words to express her happiness. The makeup and prosthetic character designer remarks, “It’s always a pleasure to hear good things about your work, but this level of appreciation is a real blessing.”

Allu Arjun, who plays a truck driver involved in red sandalwood smuggling, dropped his ‘style icon’ image and donned a rustic look – ruffled hair, tanned skin, rugged beard and sharp-piercing eyes. “He patiently sat on the chair for hours for the transformation and gave all the liberty to experiment,” informs Preetisheel. The hard work indeed paid off as fans are going gaga over it.

She adds, “It was a challenge to create the looks. Whether it was the dramatic avatar of Allu Arjun, the deglamorized version of Rashmika Mandanna, or the bald look of Fahadh Faasil, a lot of work went into making them look the way they do in the film. I am happy that people are finding these drastic transformations interesting.”

But that’s not the only reason for Preetisheel to be happy. This has been a rocking year for her. Besides the success of Pushpa: The Rise, another Southern film Master, where she worked on Thalapathy Vijay, emerged a mega-hit at the box-office. Her film Chichhore where she had designed the old and new looks for all the cast including Sushant Singh Rajput, won the National Award in the Best Film category. She earned a lot of critical acclaim for the various makeovers in Bunty Aur Babli 2. Apart from that her character designs for Divya Agarwal in the ALT Balaji web series Cartel won tremendous praise.

Moreover, her studio Da Makeup Lab in the posh Versova locality of Mumbai, which she runs with her work and life partner Mark D’souza, has emerged as the number one outfit for makeup and prosthetic requirements in the entertainment industry.

What’s more! 2022 looks as promising as 2021. Preetisheel is gearing up for the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiwadi and Akshay Kumar starrers like Bachchan Pandey, OMG 2 and Ram Setu next.

Last but not the least, Chhichhore will be one of the first international films to hit Chinese theatres in 2022. With its release date set for January 7, the first Friday of the new year, some are even talking about it as a sign of thawing of ties between China and India in the coming year.