Da Makeup Lab – India Chron

Preetisheel Singh D’souza receives her second National Film Award

Shreya Sood — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:48:05 +0000

In a recent ceremony held at India’s capital, character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza received the nation’s highest honour for her exceptional work on the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film Gangubai Kathiawadi. This coveted award, the National Film Award for Best Makeup, was presented by none other than India’s President, Droupadi Murmu, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Preetisheel’s remarkable achievements in the art of character design are well-known, and this marks her second National Award, an acknowledgment of her relentless dedication to her craft. Preetisheel Singh D’souza is no stranger to the world of cinema. Her illustrious career in character design, makeup and prosthetics has adorned countless films with transformative beauty.

Gangubai Kathiawadi, directed by the renowned Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Alia Bhatt, was a magnum opus, and Preetisheel’s work was nothing short of spectacular. Her ability to bring out the essence of characters through makeup and prosthetics is unparalleled.

Upon receiving the National Award, Preetisheel expressed her deep gratitude for the recognition her craft has received. She remarked, “I am truly honoured to receive this prestigious award for the second time. It’s a testament to the power of makeup and prosthetics in storytelling. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been a part of Bhansali Sir’s Gangubai Kathiawadi and humbled to have my work acknowledged at this highly prestigious level.”

Preetisheel’s passion for character design extends beyond the screen. Together with her partner Mark D’souza, she operates ‘Da Makeup Lab’ in Versova, Mumbai. The state-of-the-art studio has become the go-to destination for filmmakers seeking the best in makeup and prosthetic services. Their commitment to perfection has earned them a reputation as India’s foremost studio in the field.

Furthermore, Preetisheel goes a step further by sharing her knowledge and expertise with the next generation of character designers. Under the banner of the ‘Preetisheel School of Character Design,’ she conducts courses that aim to nurture and develop the talent of aspiring artists, passing on her invaluable skills and experience to ensure the continued growth of this artistic field.

Preetisheel Singh D’souza’s remarkable journey from creating cinematic magic to educating future generations of character designers is a testament to her unwavering dedication to her craft. As she continues to transform faces and characters with her skills, her influence will undoubtedly resonate in the film industry for years to come.

Da Makeup Lab overwhelmed with excitement over Heeramandi

Shreya Sood — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 02:56:40 +0000

Netflix subscribers and fans of filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali are eagerly awaiting the release of his upcoming web-series Heeramandi. Bhansali, known for his grandeur and cinematic style is set to bring his signature flair to OTT with this series about the lives of courtesans in pre-independence India.

The streaming platform shared the teaser of Heeramandi with the caption, “Another time, another era, another magical world created by Sanjay Leela Bhansali we can’t wait to be a part of. Here is a glimpse into the beautiful and intriguing world of #Heeramandi. Coming soon!”

The excitement surrounding Heeramandi reached a fever pitch recently with the release of the first look teaser. It features a unique star cast, including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Shaikh. The video provides a glimpse into the intricate and beautiful world that Bhansali has created.

A company that has had the privilege of working closely with Bhansali on this project is Da Makeup Lab. The studio, which specializes in makeup, hair and prosthetics, has collaborated with Bhansali on three of his films namely Gangubai Kathiawadi, Padmaavat and Bajirao Mastani.

The team at Da Makeup Lab could not contain their excitement after seeing the teaser for Heeramandi. Taking to Instagram, they shared a photo of some of the makeup and prosthetics they created for the series, along with a caption expressing their joy at being part of such an exciting project. The studio’s post on Instagram read, “The artistry of Sanjay Leela Bhansali combined with the grace of this cast, is an explosion we were not prepared for. We’ve loved designing these looks, hope you enjoy watching them too!”

Apart from the three prestigious projects with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Da Makeup Lab’s impressive portfolio also includes character designs for several successful movies such as Mom, Chhichhore, Bala, Mulk, Andhadhun, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Haider, Rangoon, Romeo Akbar Walter, Bachchhan Paandey, Bunty Aur Babli 2, Chup: Revenge of the Artist and Pushpa: The Rise. The lab is now working on Pushpa’s sequel titled Pushpa: The Rule.

Da Makeup Lab is headed by National Award-winning character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza and her partner-husband, Mark D’souza and is based at the high-profile Versova locality of Mumbai.

Da Makeup Lab rolls like an unstoppable juggernaut

Shreya Sood — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 03:02:01 +0000

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

Preetisheel Singh D’souza third time lucky with Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Shreya Sood — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 20:33:42 +0000

As Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi finds abounding acclaim and success, Bollywood’s No. 1 makeup, hair and prosthetic character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza says it feels surreal. Preetisheel has curated the looks for all the lead characters including that of Alia Bhatt as Ganga Jagjivandas aka Gangubai, Ajay Devgn as Rahim Lala, Jim Sarbh as journalist Amin Faizi and Vijay Raaz as Raziabai.

This is the third time the illustrious filmmaker Bhansali entrusted Preetisheel, the first two films being Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. After the tremendous response to Gangubai Kathiawadi, Preetisheel has been feeling overwhelmed.

“I’m overwhelmed with all the appreciation. Designing characters takes a lot of patience, time and thoughts,” quips the expert known for her look transformations in many Bollywood and Southern movies too. “When my work gets recognition and is appreciated, honestly there is nothing more valuable than that. I am thankful for the faith Bhansali Sir has put in my work and the freedom he has given me to work on the looks,” says Preetisheel.

Preetisheel adds, “It’s also heartening to see the number of messages I receive from my well wishers. When I see how much the young generation of makeup and prosthetic artists are keen to learn from me, it really leaves me speechless. I would just like to thank everybody for valuing our work — the directors, actors, artists, audiences and my entire team at Da Makeup Lab.”

After working on Ranveer Singh’s character as the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao in Bajirao Mastani, Preetisheel again managed to stun everyone by curating the look of Ranveer as the evil ruler Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat. This as well as the characters of Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati and Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh won her humongous praise from all quarters. And now with Gangubai Kathiawadi it’s happening all over again.

Starting out a decade ago, Preetisheel received the ‘National Film Award for Best Makeup’ for the pre-Mughal historical epic Nanak Shah Fakir. She has also handled character transformations for various movies like Chhichhore, 102 Not Out, Mulk, Bala, Thackeray, Mom, Andhadhun, Housefull 4 and the more recently released Pushpa – The Rise. Along with her partner-husband Mark D’souza, she runs India’s premier makeup and prosthetic outfit Da Makeup Lab which is a landmark in Mumbai’s posh seaside locality of Versova.

Allu Arjun praises Da Makeup Lab for the success of his look in Pushpa

Shreya Sood — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 10:43:35 +0000

Even as Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1 continues to set records at the box-office, after emerging the biggest blockbuster in recent times, South style icon Allu Arjun has praised its makeup and prosthetic character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza and her team at Da Makeup Lab for his stunning look in the film.

Speaking at an event, the superstar who plays the forceful character of Pushpa Raj in the film said that the team of Da Makeup Lab were the “main reason” for the success of his look in the film.

Humbled by Allu Arjun’s gesture Preetisheel shared the clip of Allu Arjun and wrote, “When an actor, so versatile like @alluarjunonline appreciates your work… it only encourages you to do better. Thank you so much for such kind words. It means a ton to the whole team!”

The lab is also behind the makeovers of Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil in the film, with their looks too receiving tremendous praise from critics and fans alike.

In fact, Da Makeup Lab, at Versova, Mumbai, has emerged as the number one outfit for makeup and prosthetic requirements in the entertainment industry. It has been the undisputed leader for many years. The studio has been responsible for handling challenging look transformations for many movies such as Padmaavat, Bajirao Mastani, 102 Not Out, Housefull 4, Mom, Bala, Chhichhore, Bunty Aur Babli 2 and another Southern megahit Master.

Their forthcoming films include very interesting names such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiwadi and Akshay Kumar starrers like Bachchan Pandey, OMG 2 and Ram Setu.

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

Shreya Sood — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:59:33 +0000

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

Shreya Sood — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 15:15:00 +0000

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 steals hearts with Bunty Aur Babli 2

Shreya Sood — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 16:53:33 +0000

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.