‘Russia’s love for Bollywood has come full circle from Raj Kapoor to Pushpa Raj,’ says Preetisheel

Pushpa: The Rise recently premiered in Russia, with the team traveling across the country for the event. The film was released in Moscow and St. Petersburg in December, and both screenings were met with an amazing response from Russian fans.

The team, which included Icon Star Allu Arjun, actress Rashmika Mandana, and director Sukumar, was thrilled to be welcomed with overwhelming enthusiasm by their Russian fans. In addition to being released in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Pushpa: The Rise was also featured at the opening ceremony of the Fifth Indian Film Festival, which was held in 24 Russian cities.

From Mumbai, character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza, who curated the unique looks the now iconic characters of Allu Arjun as Pushpa Raj, Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli and Fahadh Faasil as SP Bhanwar Singh Shekawat in the film, expressed her excitement at seeing the film being recognized internationally.

“The response from fans has been one of great excitement and happiness. As far as Bollywood’s legacy with Russia goes, we have come a long way. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Russia’s love for Bollywood has come full circle from Raj Kapoor to Pushpa Raj,” she quips, reminiscing how Raj Kapoor was a craze in Russia once upon a time.

The National Award-winning makeup and prosthetic expert, along with her partner husband Mark D’souza, runs Da Makeup Lab; India’s No.1 makeup, hair and prosthetic studio based in the high-profile Versova locality of Mumbai.

Apart from Pushpa: The Rise, the state-of-the-art studio has designed transformational looks for movies such as Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, 102 Not Out, Housefull 4, Mom, Bala, Chhichhore, Bunty Aur Babli 2 as well as the Southern megahit Master. It is now working for Pushpa’s sequel titled Pushpa: The Rule.

Da Makeup Lab elated at the super success of Ranveer Singh’s transformative looks

A few weeks ago India’s foremost hair, makeup and prosthetic studio Da Makeup Lab (DML) embarked on a new mission — to curate unique looks for Ranveer Singh for the FreshToHome #NoShortcuts ad campaign having funky ads.

 

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The studio is very happy that not only were Ranveer’s looks accepted by the public, but that the ad campaign was a huge hit with people. “It’s really great to see that our work has been appreciated and the ads are such a huge success,” says Mark D’Souza, business head and partner at DML.

 

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“Ranveer is always a pleasure to work with as he is open to new ideas to experiment. Plus, he is a very easy-going person and gives complete freedom when it comes to curating looks,” adds Preetisheel Singh D’souza, creative head and partner at DML, who character-designed his looks for the ads.

This is not the first time Da Makeup Lab has woven magic with Ranveer. They first designed his looks for the Sanjay Leela Bhansali superhit Bajirao Mastani, where Ranveer played the role of the Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao I. Then, for another Bhansali blockbuster Padmaavat, where he played the intimidating pre-Mughal era emperor Alauddin Khilji. His character design as Khilji was a rage and Ranveer rocked in the role.

 

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Apart from FreshToHome, DML has also worked on Ranveer as an adi-manav for the Set Wet hair gel ad, as well as a character with a large head and swollen nose for the Vicks Inhaler ad.

 

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Moreover, DML has provided its services for some of the biggest box-office blockbusters including movies such as Chhichhore, Housefull 4, Bigil, Master, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Pushpa: The Rise, which has made it the undisputed leader in makeup and prosthetics for the entertainment industry in India.

The outfit, run by the National Award-winning character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza along with her partner-husband Mark D’souza, has its state-of-the-art studio situated in the upmarket Mumbai suburbs of Versova.

What’s more! The coming months are expected to be as exciting for the studio as the earlier years. Coming up are thrilling looks for Shah Rukh Khan in the much-awaited movie Jawan. SRK’s unique character with his bandaged and bruised look in the teaser has already got fans curious and excited for more.

Da Makeup Lab rolls like an unstoppable juggernaut

The success streak of India’s No.1 hair, makeup and prosthetic studio Da Makeup Lab (DML) has been no less than amazing. The outfit, run by the National Award-winning character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza along with her partner-husband Mark D’souza, is a state-of-the-art studio situated in the upmarket Mumbai suburbs of Versova.

DML has provided its services for some of the biggest box-office blockbusters including movies such as Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Chhichhore, Housefull 4, Bigil, Master, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Pushpa: The Rise.

But that doesn’t stop Team DML from constantly experimenting and upping the bar. Moving like an unstoppable juggernaut, the studio keeps creating and innovating at a pace like no other.

Check out the studio’s Instagram page and you will realize the quantity of unique projects they are working on. Here are a few from their monthly activities.

One of the most interesting things DML has done in recent times is the wounded warrior look of Shah Rukh Khan in the upcoming film Jawan. SRK’s unique character with his bandaged and bruised look in the teaser has definitely got fans excited and curious.

 

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In fact, DML has designed all the characters for Jawan directed by the famous Atlee. This is also the first time the studio is working with Shah Rukh Khan.

 

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Talking about variety of character designs, yet another interesting flick to watch out for, is Cobra. In this Tamil action-thriller, Southern superstar Chiyaan Vikram will be seen in many astonishing avatars designed by DML.

 

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Even the new poster of Cobra is no less stunning. Sporting a retro avatar here, Vikram is seen adorning a funky printed shirt with suspender pants, stylish glasses and hair tied backwards, adding just the right amount of retro vibe to his overall ensemble.

 

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DML recently created a stubbled look for Ranveer Singh for a quirky character of a salesman he plays in advertisements for the fish and meat delivery marketplace FreshToHome. Check one of the ads here:

 

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But that’s not all. As a regular practice, DML keeps working on different experimental projects as a warming-up for the lab’s in-house team. And some of these projects are really interesting and intriguing. Like the creation of this cute silicone baby prop. It’s really fascinating to see how a mould is filled up, followed by the process of unveiling the prop.

 

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A similar video about how a body double prop is created for movies. Just imagine the scenes in movies where such props come of immense use.

 

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And last but not the least, is this scary prosthetic character of a tantric-turned-rakshasa created for Qayamat Ki Raat on Star Plus. As the Insta video caption goes, there is “terror in his eyes and evil in his bones!” You gotta see it to believe it.

 

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Da Makeup Lab expands workspace with additional studio

Da Makeup Lab (DML), India’s number one makeup and prosthetic design studio, is in an expansion mode. Located in the posh Versova locality of Mumbai, it has fast emerged as the leading outfit for makeup and prosthetic requirements in the entertainment industry.

The premier state-of-the-art studio has opened a new workspace to incorporate more projects. Apart from its main facility, a workforce of around 25 skilled workers have begun lending their talent at the new facility in Versova itself, to create some of the amazing looks produced by the lab.

The rising

Led by makeup and prosthetic character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza along with her work and life partner Mark D’souza, DML has curated looks for some of the biggest movies in Bollywood.

It’s profile includes names such as Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, 102 Not Out, Housefull 4, Mom, Bala, Chhichhore, Bunty Aur Babli 2, the Southern megahit Master and the recent blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise. The lab has also curated looks for various advertisements featuring names such as Madhuri Dixit, Akshay Kumar and Ranbir Kapoor.

Creative genius

Preetisheel Singh D’souza has won the ‘National Film Award for Best Makeup’ for the pre-Mughal historical epic Nanak Shah Fakir. She has been featured by international media among the top 5 makeup and prosthetic designers in the world, along with Hollywood stalwarts such as Kazu Hiro, Christian Tinsley, Jordu Schell and Neill Gorton.

Her creative genius in the field has worked like a Midas Touch for many a movies, some of them emerging as the biggest box-office blockbusters of recent times.

Force behind the workforce

The company’s co-director Mark D’souza has a degree in Design Studies from the prestigious Griffith University in Australia. Earlier, he dabbled in VFX and animation. While his wife Preetisheel handles the talent and artistic departments of the studio, he handles the business and is the backbone of the company.

Mark’s guidance and expertise has helped DML witness tremendous growth in clients and has led the transformation from its initial days, to the full-fledged state-of-the-art makeup and prosthetics company today.

The future is here

The coming year will also see Da Makeup Lab launching a school for select students of the art. And as if all this isn’t enough, DML has various new projects lined up for release in the coming months. The firm has handled the makeup and prosthetics for top artistes in upcoming films like Gangubai Kathiawadi, Bachchhan Paandey, Ram Setu, OMG 2 and more.

Pushpa’s looks leave fans spellbound as the film breaks box-office records!!

“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.

Preetisheel’s character designs thrill as Pushpa trailer roars

The trailer of Allu Arjun’s much-awaited action thriller Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1 was released recently, leaving netizens awestruck. From action-packed sequences, to an engaging story around red sandalwood smuggling; everything in the trailer promises an exciting watch for movie buffs.

Amid all the buzz, one thing which caught everyone’s attention was the look transformations of the actors. Whether it’s the intense and vintage look of Arjun, who plays a truck driver involved in smuggling, the feisty damsel Rashmika Mandanna, or the bald getup of Fahadh Faasil, who plays the prime antagonist donning a moustache — it all seems to be very much convincing.

The makeover specialist behind all these transformations, Preetisheel Singh D’souza is filled with gratitude for all the love her work is receiving. “It’s always a pleasure to hear appreciating words about your work, more so, when it comes from fans of a superstar like Allu Arjun, who always have very high expectations,” she said. “Each look has a story to tell and we feel fortunate to be a part of this process of designing interesting characters,” Preetisheel added.

A few days ago, the makeup and prosthetic character designer also took to Instagram to share Pushpa’s poster with a caption that read, “A character’s journey starts when his look for the film is locked! In the movie-making business, both the hero and the villain compliment each other, and none is effective without the other. Our aim is to do justice to both, bringing out their good, bad and ugly sides, with elan. Sharing this poster of #Pushpa, wherein we had the pleasure of creating these two unique characters!”

Helmed by director Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, the film will release on December 17.

For the record, Preetisheel is a National Award recipient and has handled the makeup and prosthetics for blockbusters like Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Housefull 4, Haider, Rangoon, Mom, 102 Not Out, Thackeray, Bala and Chhichhore. She recently made headlines for the transformative looks of all the lead characters in Bunty Aur Babli 2, as well as the looks of Divya Agarwal in the web series Cartel.

Her studio Da Makeup Lab, which she runs with her partner-husband Mark D’souza, has emerged as the number one outfit for makeup and prosthetic requirements in the entertainment industry.

Preetisheel is now gearing up for the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiwadi and Akshay Kumar starrers like Bachchan Pandey, OMG 2 and Ram Setu.

Preetisheel looking forward to Gangubai Kathiawadi, Bachchan Pandey and Pushpa: The Rise

When it comes to makeup and prosthetics in Bollywood, she has been the undisputed leader from many years. Having won the National Award for best makeup and prosthetics, character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza has handled challenging look transformations for many movies such as Padmaavat, Bajirao Mastani, 102 Not Out, Housefull 4, Mom and Chhichhore.

Her studio Da Makeup Lab, which she runs with her partner-husband Mark D’souza, has emerged the number one outfit for makeup and prosthetic requirements in the entertainment industry.

In spite of the pandemic, Preetisheel had managed to give us some of her best work in the last two years. While Vijay-starrer Master broke major Southern box-office records, the various looks she designed for Divya Agarwal for the web series Cartel won her rave reviews.

Her work for the varied looks of Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari Wagh in Bunty Aur Babli 2 have been the talk of the town.

Apart from this, Chhichhore, which had won our hearts with the young and old looks created by Preetisheel, has bagged the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.

But that’s not all! Preetisheel also gathered praise designing transformational looks for Ranbir Kapoor in advertisements, for Southern superstar Nagarjuna for his movie Wild Dog, as well as for a stunning promo with him of the Telugu Bigg Boss.

And as if all this is not enough, the makeover specialist will showcase her talent once again with three new movies soon — Gangubai Kathiawadi, Bachchan Pandey and Pushpa: The Rise (Part 1). There is no stopping this lady. Her accomplishments are like a never-ending marathon.

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.

‘Black is beautiful’ gets a new meaning with Da Makeup Lab in Versova

‘Black is beautiful’ is a line synonymous with fashion. But who thought that an inanimate object in Mumbai will bag the tag. But that’s what has happened with the office of Da Makeup Lab; touted as India’s first hair, makeup and prosthetic lab.

Emerging a landmark in the heart of Bollywood in the posh locality of Versova, Andheri, Mumbai, this four-storied imposing black building with coloured dots and huge face murals painted on it, has become a centre of attraction for many. So much so that passersby not only take pictures of it, but often stand opposite it to take selfies with it in the background. Yes, you got that right — selfies with a building.

As for the lab itself, it is buzzing with activity throughout the year, with the company being owned by Preetisheel Singh D’souza and her husband-partner Mark D’souza. While Mark takes care of the business, Preetisheel looks at the creatives, constructing astonishing character designs for a plethora of films including Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Haider, 102 Not Out, Chhichhore, Housefull 4, Thackeray, Bala and the upcoming Gangubai Kathiawadi.

She is a National Award-winner and 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.

Meanwhile, the beautiful black landmark building stands tall at Versova main road and keeps amusing everyone. We won’t say, ‘don’t miss spotting it,’ because if you happen to be in that part of Mumbai, there’s no way you can miss it.

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.

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.

Makeover wiz Preetisheel Singh nicknamed The Lockdown Masterchef

It’s no secret that the Corona crisis lockdown has unleashed the hidden talents of many. Social media pages are flooded with thoughts and pictures of unique aspects people discovered in themselves during this time of forced isolation.

Whereas we do have our usual suspects, here comes a very unlikely candidate — India’s No.1 hair, makeup and prosthetic specialist, the National Award-winning lady Preetisheel Singh.

Preetisheel Singh - Food collage

To their surprise, Preetisheel’s family has realized that she not only excels in look designing and makeovers, but is also a phenomenal cook. Yes! as if cooking up and curating looks for movies such as Padmaavat, Chhichhore, Bala, 102 Not Out, Thackeray and Housefull 4 wasn’t enough, Preetisheel has broken a record of sorts, by experimenting with a number of exquisite foods and dishes in the last three months. And her family swears that most of them have turned out to be utterly delicious.

Preetisheel Singh and her partner-husband Mark Dsouza - Pic 1
Preetisheel Singh with her partner-husband mark Dsouza

Spending her lockdown days in her hometown Pathankot with her parents, siblings and her work partner and husband Mark Dsouza, the look transformation wiz has earned a new nickname for her wonderful cooking talents. Her folks now call her the The Lockdown Masterchef.