SVF

A FILM THAT CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF A MAKEUP ARTIST

Srijit Mukherji’s upcoming thriller, Vinci Da, is the story of an obsessesive makeup artist, struggling to create his own niche in the industry — totally on his own merit. But he’s a straight-talker who comes off as a bit arrogant. This creates hurdles in his path and makes him quite unpopular among the who’s who of the film industry. And just when his life starts going haywire, a mysterious character, Adi Bose, enters his life and changes it forever.

CT delves deeper into the film, which revolves around an important yet lowprofile aspects of filmmaking — makeup. “Makeup is an art if you know the science of it. And Tollywood has many talented makeup artists. But sadly, I’ve seen many directors and producers hiring average specialised makeup artists from Mumbai instead. Now, films may require different kinds of makeup, right from the usual, simple kind to advanced prosthestics. And Tollywood had always relied on Mumbai for prosthetics makeup. But Somnath Kundu broke the trend and showed all that we too can excel in prosthetic makeup. Srijit’s film is a tribute to all such talented makeup artists we have in Bengal,” said Rudranil Ghosh, who plays the titular role in the film, which also stars Sohini Sarkar, Ritwick Chakraborty and Anirban Bhattacharya

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We also spoke to some noted makeup artists of Tollywood to know about their lives, struggles and experiences in this industry. Here’s what they told us:

SOMNATH KUNDU

According to Srijit and Rudranil, certain parts of the film are inspired by Somnath’s life. Very popular in his field, Somnath’s filmography includes Joddha, Zulfiqar, Har Har Byomkesh, Dhananjoy, Yeti Obhijaan, Uma and Byomkesh Gowtro, to name a few. In Ek Je Chhilo Raja, Somnath gave Jisshu U Sengupta three different looks with prosthetics. He has played an important part in Vinci Da too.

Somnath told us, “My grandfather and father used to be dressers. I was the first in the family to become a makeup artist. I started my career as an assistant in 1996 in Rituparno Ghosh’s Bahanno Episode. My first film as an independent makeup artist was the 2001 film, Jamaibabu Zindabad. Since my father was already part of the project, people were apprehensive about taking me on board. They thought I knew nothing about makeup. So, I was sent to work with my father in the costume department. I had to prove my worth at every step. I used to plead those directors and producers to give me a chance to try my hand at prosthetic makeup, but they wouldn’t listen. They would always hire artists from Mumbai. It was Srijit who, for the first time, showed faith in me and gave me an opportunity to work on the prosthetics for Jisshu in Zulfiqar. I don’t mind those humiliations, because they only made me stronger. Now, there are directors who wait for my dates before starting a film. I can totally relate to Vinci Da’s story, as it says a lot about our struggles.”

SK AZAD AHMED

He’s the son of the late Bashir Ahmed, who used to do the makeup for the legendary matinee idol, Uttam Kumar. Post his father’s death, Azad continued his legacy in Tollywood and worked with Rituparno Ghosh in 15 films, including Khela, Chokher Bali, Raincoat, Unishe April and Dahan, to name a few.

“I hardly faced any problem in the industry in terms of work and acceptance as my father was a known face. In fact, I got a lot of cooperation and help from the actors when I joined the trade after my father’s demise. His reference helped me get work. I’m really thankful to Prosenjit Chatterjee, who helped me gain a good footing in Tollywood. And it was Rituparno Ghosh, who taught me the aesthetics of makeup. I am happy that Srijit is making a film that talks about people like us,” Azad told us.

AJIT MONDAL

Ajit, also an industry veteran, has been working here for the past 43 years. After working in many TV soaps, he did the makeup for Chiranjeet Chakraborty in Beder Meye Josna.

“I trained under Bhim Noskar, a celebrated makeup artist of that time. So, getting work in this industry was not that difficult for me. I started working as an independent makeup artist from 1984. By that time, most of the industry people knew my skillset. So, I never faced any problem. Today, you get much better makeup products. So, getting a definite look is much easier than it was before. Also, the technology is much more advanced now. I’ve heard that the film, Vinci Da, is about the struggles of a makeup artist. I’m waiting to watch it,” Ajit said with a smile.

MD YOUNUS

Besides being a veteran in Bengal’s theatre scene, Md Younus has also worked in around 15 films with Raj Chakrabarty.

“Whatever I have learnt about makeup is from theatre. I’ve also worked for one of the most popular television serials, Mahaprabhu Sree Chaityanya. Getting work was never an issue for me and I never had to face too many hurdles in my career. I’ve heard that Srijit’s film talks about our industry and I am curious to know more about it,” Younus told us.

ANIRUDDHA CHAKLADAR

There are different forms of makeup. And every makeup artist has a signature style. Aniruddha stands out in the crowd for his versatility, as he can do makeup for fashion shoots, promotional shoots and even films. He did Sharmila Tagore’s makeup in Shubho Mahurat. He has also handled projects like Antaheen, Maach Mishti & More, Ami Aar Amar Girlfriends and Rupkatha Noy to name a few.

“It was a slow but steady growth for me. I was fortunate that people accepted me in this industry, as I came from a fashion background, where I was already a known face. But we’ve all had our share of struggles. I have heard about Vinci Da and have to watch the film to find out how much I can relate to Vincida’s character,” said Aniruddha.

MD ALI It hasn’t been a smooth ride for Md Ali, who has been working in Tollywood for the past 20 years.

“I had to face a lot of rejection in the initial days of my career. Knowing our craft is not the only criteria here, as the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India plays a major role in getting us work. But then, there were people who believed in me and took me on board. My first job as an individual makeup artist was with director Dinen Gupta. Then, Aparna Sen roped me in for Goynar Baksho and Arshinagar. I’ve also worked with Srijit Mukherji and Kamleswar Mukherjee. I’ve heard Srijit’s film has similarities with Somnath’s life. I am waiting for it, as Somnath is really good with prosthetics,” Md Ali told us.