JOIN USThree-time National Award Winner, make-up designer Vikram Gaikwad is known for his speciality in fine prosthetics and subtle make-up style.
The designer, who has been acknowledged for creating unique facades for actors in films including Sardar, Making of Gandhi, Maqbool, Rang De Basanti and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, says that his work has never suffered for the lack of something. Having worked on Janata Raja, the play with 500 live characters, and over 100 films, Vikram believes that make-up is not just about painting faces, but creating something beyond imagination.
The make-up designer says that every face and every artiste is challenging. His repertoire of films also include The Dirty Picture, Delhi 6, Mausam, Three Idiots, Moner Manush, Omkara, Zubeidaa, Sardari Begum, Ek Thi Daayan and Tanu Weds Manu Returns.
Gaikwad says that he always insists on reading the script before designing the look of the characters. “I don’t work without a script and if I don’t get one I refuse to work. I learnt this from director Shyam Benegal. There are certain directors who work without a script. They write their dialogues instantly on the sets but they don’t know their characters well and it affects their film, the results are shown. Fortunately for me, I got to work under stalwart directors like Baburao Shinde, Baburao Purandare, Shyam Benegal, Mani Ratnam, Vishal Bhardwaj, Rituparno Ghosh and Gautam Ghose.”
Vikram started his career under the tutelage of make-up artiste Baburao Shinde. “It all started as a hobby in school but I got very obsessed with this creative form. My parents wanted me to study so I would attend school and later go on the sets. As I grew up, I graduated from working in children’s plays to musicals and later I worked on Janata Raja where I got to learn a lot. Later I went to the US and UK to study further. I trained under well-known make-up artist Rick Baker,” he says.
This award-winning artist never works under pressure “My guru has trained us well to handle these work pressures. I have worked extensively on plays and for films, so I am used to last minute problems. I even invented my own materials and have got the same desired effects. Many actors insist on hiring their own make-up man, but I make sure that I don’t displease them, but show my own aesthetic vision,” he explains.
Speaking about the actresses he has worked with, Vikram says, “I worked in Dirty Picture with Vidya Balan where I used a lot of prosthetics for the stomach, breasts, eye bags and hips. I have worked in Delhi 6 and Mausam with Sonam Kapoor. She has tremendous knowledge of costumes and cosmetics. I have worked with Priyanka, who is obsessed with make-up.
Vikram’s recent work is seen in the film Tanu Weds Manu Returns. “I am working on Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Mohenjodaro, which is an epic once again, next I am doing Abhishek Kapoor’s Fitoor. I also completed Abhishek Sharma’s Tere Bin Laden 2 and Ram Gopal Varma’s Veerappan.