A look at Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat takes you back to a bygone era, and it is hard to say that a head full of hair lies below Ayushmann Khurrana’s bald cap in Bala. Behind these and many more box-office successes, lies the finesse of the team at Da Makeup Lab. Their artistic den at Versova, Mumbai, specializes in realistic makeup, spectacular hair and 360-degree transformations which show that everything is possible if the filmmaker’s vision syncs with the professional’s capabilities.
Class apart
What sets apart effective films from mediocre ones is the attention to detail and how each character connects with the audience. A common person often associates movie success with its actors or the production team.
However, the first thing that catches the eye of the audience is the appearance of the characters. How characters look, can make or break the experience of the film. They have a major role to play in a film’s success.
Beautiful characters don’t make a film successful, but impactful ones do. Creating intrigue and impact with characters is what Da Makeup Lab specializes in.
Spreading the wings
One of the most popular makeup and prosthetics studios in Mumbai, Da Makeup Lab is taking the entertainment industry by storm with its exceptional work. The establishment has followed a growth trajectory that leaves many awestruck. To keep up with the changing needs of the business, Da Makeup Lab has continuously expanded its operations and now has two spacious workspaces in Versova.
A distinguished identity
The establishment is run by National Award-winning makeup and prosthetic character designer Preetisheel Singh D’souza and her partner Mark Troy D’souza. They have established a distinguished identity and have been behind the success of many fashion shows, TV commercials, Bollywood films, and movies from other Indian film industries.
Mark, the business head at Da Makeup Lab says he is pleased with the trajectory of growth. However, he adds that the company always looks for raising the bar in terms of quality and innovation.
A love for movies, a childhood dream, impressive talent, thorough commitment and commendable business acumen are among the best elements that have come together and defined the success story of Da Makeup Lab.
Its story is a perfect tale of love, passion for excellence, and a knack for perfection. From transforming a 76-years-old Amitabh Bachchan into a flawless 102-year-old to creating three unique bald characters in a row for Housefull 4, Bala and Ujda Chaman, to creating realistic characters for period dramas, Da Makeup Lab has accomplished it all.
The idea behind the lab was conceived to fill the gaps in the Indian makeup and prosthetics industry. Preetisheel and Mark met on the sets of Nanak Shah Fakir, where Preetisheel was the character designer and Mark was the VFX supervisor. Preetisheel later won the National Award for her work in the movie. It is hard to say whether they were impressed by each other’s charm or skills, but they make a deadly team.
Together they have taken Da Makeup Lab up the success ladder and are working incessantly to unlock new milestones. Mark points out that “Preetisheel has exceptional talent and there is no one like her in India.”
He adds that when they met, Indian makeup and prosthetic professionals were still far from meeting international standards and they realised that as a team, they could do wonders.
Make in India
Over the years of operations, Da Makeup Lab has strived to reduce the instances of producers inviting international artists for makeup and character design to achieve exceptional outcomes for their films. “When with the right material and brilliant skills, we can achieve the same in India, why knock outside doors,” says Mark D’souza.
When asked if they plan to move to Hollywood or take up international projects, Mark said that the primary vision is to deliver the quality of work that replaces international makeup artists completely in India, but they would love to work on international projects as well.
Training gen next
In a highly competitive industry like Bollywood, Da Makeup Lab is offering a wonderful platform for young talents to prove their mettle. Currently, the lab has a sizable team and they hope to create more jobs for Indians by training them to meet international standards.
The present team comprises around 50 full-time employees working in the office additionally to a huge team of makeup artists and assistants that take care of the operations on film sets. The lab is also in the process of launching a makeup and prosthetics school that will train new talents in makeup, hair and prosthetics. This way, they will recognize and hone talents and offer jobs within the organization.
The challenges
There are challenges in this process, related to material procurement. Most of the materials they use are imported and this quickly adds up to the cost of services. The shelf life and storage of the products are other challenges. Mark informs that producers trust them and set aside decent budgets for characters and makeup. This is a great win for Da Makeup Lab, which takes pride in delivering high-quality work.
The lab doesn’t invest in marketing and there is a constant influx of projects and opportunities just through word-of-mouth. It means a lot for a brand in a competitive space to do nothing special for marketing and reap good results only through brilliant work that speaks for itself. Mark also mentions that they are lucky to not face any major attrition challenges.
Most artists have been working for Da Makeup Lab for 7-8 years now and are happy with the success, learning, and recognition they get. The organization believes in recognizing and rewarding everyone for their contribution.
A regular day at Da Makeup Lab brims with life and experimentation. Apart from working on projects, the team constantly experiments with new styles to keep up with the pace of the international makeup and prosthetics space. This way, they keep exploring new options and capabilities and thus contribute to the evolution of the Indian film industry.
The company is also working hard to change the perception that the Indian makeup industry is limited in its capabilities. With their experiments, they open up a wide range of possibilities that Indian filmmakers can explore and strive to refute the understanding that only a certain level of perfection can be achieved here.
Balancing diversity
However, the north and south industries are quite different when it comes to expectations. They have unique styles and filmmakers are now experimenting to embrace other styles. According to Mark, balancing these expectations is the key to success in their field. They do not go by prejudices and let the storyline define the character design.
He quotes the example of Mr. Sanjay Leela Bhansali who has trusted Da Makeup Lab for many of his projects like Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat and Gangubai Kathiawadi. Mark says that Mr Bhansali’s niche is very different and all his movies are unique in expectations. Preetisheel adopts a versatile and experimentative approach in such situations, he adds.
“Makeup should not look like makeup, it should blend in with the character,” Mr. Bhansali had once told Preetisheel. She has been sticking to this advice.
Preetisheel believes that extensive research about the movie setting helps her to come up with relatable characters that tell intended stories with just their looks.
For instance, the movies Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat are set in ancient eras and Preetisheel keeps that in mind while designing looks. She uses makeup to reflect those times and circumstances. These detailed looks are thus a result of meticulous research and create the impact that the storytellers intend.
In the 8-10 years of operation, Da Makeup Lab has grown phenomenally in strength and turnover. This can be attributed to over 60 films and TV commercials that they have worked on. Mark and Preetisheel are proud of the way the journey has shaped up.
They have contributed immensely to the industry and have no regrets about how they did things. In the future, they wish to explore more and achieve greater milestones. They also wish to take the early movers’ advantage in the prosthetic space in India and help others with their efforts.
Standing out
Mark describes Preetisheel as the greatest asset for Da Makeup Lab and says that her exceptional talent and skills set Da Makeup Lab a class apart from the other establishments in the space. Her expertise is comparable to Hollywood talents and she can create anything if she has the right brief.
He also regards the entire team as an asset, as they do not simply follow instructions but contribute ideas and make the process easier. The finesse that Da Makeup Lab has with prosthetics makes them a preferred brand among the many others.
Successes galore
Their unending list of achievements includes eight box-office blockbusters over the past five years. These include Padmaavat, Andhadhun, Chhichhore, Houseful 4, Bigil, Master and Pushpa. Gangubai Kathiawadi is the latest addition to the list.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s look in the movie Mom and Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor’s looks in 102 Not Out are brilliant examples of prosthetic characters that Da Makeup Lab has designed.
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Other box-office successes include Bajirao Mastani, Bala, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Haider, Shivaay, Aval, Talvar and Brothers. Da Makeup Lab doesn’t see anyone as a competitor in the industry, since it’s evolved as an undefeated market leader. They have coped well with the pandemic and have been one of the first businesses to open up since the lockdown was lifted.
Mark admits that it was a tough time, because all artists were home and business came to a standstill. However, they were still participating in creative discussions and ideating new designs. This also helped them bounce back sooner, once everything opened up.
The future beckons
Mark takes care of coordination, management, budgeting, logistics and most of what goes behind the scenes. Preetisheel is behind everything that meets the eyes of the audience. This includes ideation, character design, working with filmmakers and briefing the team.
Preetisheel and Mark, along with an amazing team are contributing incessantly to the Indian film space. The company’s journey is exemplary. The way it is creating jobs and honing new talents, is commendable.
From struggling for the first project to winning a National Award and churning out box-office blockbusters one after the other, Da Makeup Lab has come a long way. It will be exciting to see how it will change the face of Indian cinema in the future.