The joy of transforming looks: Samruddhi Sathe

Born in Nagpur and brought up in Hyderabad, 19-year-old Samruddhi Sathe, began her tryst with makeup as a self-taught artiste and went on to do a professional course to hone her skills. She began freelancing at the age of 15 for Bollywood.

She has worked on Ajay Devgn in ‘Shivaay’ and recently worked on the looks of Rishi Kapoor in the movie ‘102 Not Out’. The young and talented artiste has also worked on advertisements such as Lenskart with Katrina Kaif, Honda Activa 5G with Tapsee Panu and Boman Irani, and Byju’s ad with Shah Rukh Khan. She has done a few music videos, worked for the film 'Blackmail' and for actor/singer Anushka Manchanda.

She shares her story of finding joy in transforming people.

Excerpts:

Why did you choose to become a makeup artiste?
I have always loved makeup! I have been dancing for 15 years and every time I would perform on stage, makeup would always be an integral part of it. The joy of transforming people into what I imagined them to look like has made me love makeup even more! The creativity and technicality of it all fascinated me and till date it still fascinates me.

How is your stint as a makeup artiste?
My journey as a makeup artiste is amazing. I have worked with some amazing people and have learned something new every step of the way. I have been extremely lucky to have worked with such great talents and actors at such a young age.

Who is your inspiration?
My inspiration is my nani (grandmother). She is the one who always encouraged me to do what I want and follow my dreams.

Where did you learn the art of makeup?
Initially, I was self-taught. I learnt through tutorials on YouTube, articles and practicing on my friends and family. I did a basic and advance course with Kryolan when I was 15, for beauty makeup. And in 2017, when I was 17, I studied at 'Make Up For Ever TV & Cinema Academy', Paris, part of the Louis Vuitton Foundation. I did my masters there, which included the basics of beauty makeup, TV and cinema makeup, to special effects makeup and a specialisation in prosthetics.

When did you get an opportunity to work with Bollywood?
The very first opportunity I got in Bollywood was at 15, for Leena Yadav and Aseem Bajaj’s 'Parched' in 2016. Aseem uncle is my mentor and has guided me throughout my journey till date and I will forever be grateful to him. We went to Toronto International Film Festival together. Then ‘Shivaay’, directed and produced by Ajay Devgn happened, when I was 16. I interned with Preetisheel Singh for that film.

You worked for movie'102 Not Out'. Tell us about your experience?
It was an incredible experience. I worked with Rishi sir, he is very much interested in makeup and would always ask us about the process and what we were doing. He is an incredible actor and a master of his craft. He has immense knowledge about cinema and not just in acting but in direction and cinematography. He is an inspiration for the amount of dedication he has for his work, even at this age. I learnt a lot from him as an artiste.

What is the difference between working for a movie and for individuals?
The difference between working on someone and a movie is the time. When I work on someone for a wedding or a party makeup job, it’s just a few hours. Your client comes in, you do their makeup and that’s the end of it. Whereas, for a film, months and months go into it. From the pre-planning, character designing, look test, etc, to the actual filming process, maintaining continuity so that the look is maintained throughout, without changes. Finishing a film can take anywhere from one month to one year. You dedicate your entire time (a 12-15-hour shift) daily, but in the end, it’s a great feeling when you see all the hard work on the big screen!

What are your future projects?
I have worked for five films in total. 'Shivaay' and '102 Not Out' have been released. Three other films are scheduled to release soon. The first one is directed by Sriram Raghavan with a cast comprising Aayushman Khurana, Radhika Apte and Tabu. The second is a Tamil film with Raai Laxmi and the last one is a Malayalam film with actor Nivin Pauly and director Rosshan Andrews.