Make-up artists in Mumbai

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Fortunately I am not famous. But occasionally I have to don some make-up for a shoot. It happens with New Woman magazine and had to, simply had to, do it for the TV series on Body and Soul. Ah, I remember the time, when I had to do that with for Harmony. Of the lot, the last had the most pro make-up artiste, possibly because the Ambani name kept the make-up artist well-behaved. No, actually, I think because Harmony also must have used an artist from other than the common pool.Whatever it was, it was not the intimidating, or nerve-wracking encounter that can happen commonly.

I remember the first sour experience happened during a shoot for Body and Soul. The make-up artist, first not so impressed that I was not famous (they get the same amount whether person is famous or not:) started looking at his watch pointedly several times after lunch. Though he was booked for the full shift (they work on shifts) he was keen on doing another one for which he wished to leave. Unprofessional. And trying to cover up by turning nasty and mean with the general body language and going on cribbing about the time, about everything in general. Sicko.

Then there was an interesting, quirky character who, the minute he landed at my doorstep, asked pointedly at me," Where is the model?" (This was for a New Woman shoot) I told him, there was no model, only poor I. Looking arch, he told me (he really really did), "You look like a boot (monster!)". To be kind to him (and myself) I think he meant my wild tresses, because next I knew my hair was bound with a big hair band he was carrying. (The journalist looked shocked and cringed; and later, when she came for another assignment remembered this incidence with great embarrassment. She told me that she was amazed that I did not react with anger to his jibe:) He did a great job and being a yoga teacher and understanding where that was coming from (a gay not allowed to be open his sexuality; from a lower middle class background dealing with snooty, cranky star types; being excellent in his job and yet being treated on par with the other mediocrities). Then, he kept a monologue about how awful some of the superstars, whom he had (all make-up artists will boast that they do superstars:) to salvage drastically. That petite dark-skinned star, such dark circles. And that beauty? Make-up artists hands quake when they are assigned to her, they have to do so much damage control. It will be great to write some features, based on interviews with these guys...Such colourful gossip!
But when he left, he kindly promised to get me a similar hair band to tie up my curls:)

Last time, I had a sweet fellow. But his make-up kit and brushes looked so unkempt that the minute the shoot got over, I ran and washed off my face since I was scared I will get some infection! And even he, despite his sweetness, when told not to use such a loud pink shade on my lips, cribbed: "She has two skin shades on her lips." God, you could be a mutant, the way these guys bitch!

Bikram yoga in town:)

The U.S. rolls royce yogi is in town, and setting up shop. It is good for us poor yoga teachers because it means there is going to a finer sense of discrimination now, as branded yoga gets a footing. There is too much mish-mash nonsense in Mumbai, more than any other city...

The cost of a Bikram Yoga routine: Rs 84,000 only.

But why is Bikram Yoga ads carrying a young BC's photo?

Maybe because of this?

I remember once Bharat Thakur telling me (while I interviewed him for the Mansworld magazine cover on yoga, which had photo-featured Deepika Mehta) that he trained only young yoga teachers because, as we all know, gods are young... :)
Well, SRK, Salman, Aamir, are you guys listening??

Salman talks sense

Salman Khan, beleauguered at the box office, spoke some sense last week. He spoke of unity and then urged against corruption, praised the sadly paid cops for their courage. But what I liked of what he said was that it is important to look at who is selling arms to actually track global terrorism. Because the arms manufacturers are the ones fostering terrorism actively.

In this context it is intriguing to note a small, buried report in a daily. It has anon quotes from city intelligence agencies which said how when western/global intelligence agencies land up after such terrorist attack ostensibly here to help with the probe, they actually pick local brains, do not share anything in return and go back without having been of any help whatsover!

The interesting thing here is the media fanfare that accompanies such visits which projects the arrival of such foreign intelligence groups as a warm, concerned attempt by that country to aid investigation. But this tiny report, buried under mounds of other reports and stashed away in an inside page, says that these agencies use local intelligence and do not really share anything. In fact, in earlier such events, though specific requests were placed with such agencies which had information about tracking arms back to the country of origin/manufacture, either the arms disappeared or there was no response!!

Imagine, I always thought that these countries were so concerned, in the James Bondesque fashion, to save the world. Obviously I, like the media which creates such an image, is just being naive:)

Listen to Allah, not Mullah: Shah Rukh Khan

Here is an interview by Rajdeep Sardesai, with Shah Rukh Khan, who has been vocal about these issues for a while now. He, as always, talks sense:) I think time the sensible voices from within the community spoke up and wrest the platform from rabid types.