The Indian makeup and hairstyling industry has not always been very welcoming to women. Two decades ago, the rule in the Bollywood film industry was absolute.
All hairdressers had to be women and makeup had to be done by men.
When Namrata Soni was appointed makeup artist for one of Dharma Production’s films, she was physically dragged off set for having the audacity to defy the system. However, whenever Namrata went to the film industry union for a union card, she was fired and fired.
Renowned makeup artist Namrata Soni
After Namrata battled with others for more than a decade, in 2014 India’s Supreme Court overturned the 59-year-old de facto ban on women working as makeup artists on film sets. of Bollywood.
“I’m talented, I’ve invested in myself, got a degree and worked hard. I demand to be paid as much or more than what makeup artists were earning back then. I want to elevate the bar”, declares the famous make-up artist during a conversation with YS Weekend.
Two decades in the industry, Namrata has created iconic looks, including that of By Deepika Padukone from Om Shanti Omand the famous dark lipstick and liner look of Sonam Kapoor Ahuja for Cannes. Additionally, Namrata created looks for the actors. Janhvi Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Disha Patani, Radhika Apteand Sonakshi Sinhaamong others.
Namrata Soni and Sonam K Ahuja | Source: Instagram
She also launched her beauty brand Simply Name in December 2020. She advocates a vegan and sustainable approach to makeup and beauty.
start early
Born and raised in Mumbai, Namrata spent seven years in a boarding school. “Since then, I’ve been a hairdresser,” she laughs. Originally a hairstylist for her boarding school buddies, Namrata started working in the makeup industry when she was just 20 years old. In 2001, she started assisting the famous hairdresser Coleen Khan. Later, Namrata took her professional makeup course at Delamar makeup school in London.
“For the first four years of my career, I didn’t get paid,” says Namrata.
“Things were different back then… You could count on your fingers the number of female makeup artists in the industry. It was a male-dominated industry,” she adds.
Namrata returned to Mumbai and assisted another makeup artist from B-town. She was invited to go to Bengaluru where she spent a month helping to do makeup for a film. “It was my first paid gig…I was able to work with Nandita Das, Purab Kohli and Tannishtha Chatterjee,” she adds.
Sonam K Ahuja’s Cannes 2018 Makeup by Namrata Soni | Source: Instagram
By experiencing life on stage for the first time, Namrata took a direction in the journey she eventually wanted to take as an artist. After that, she then helped Dilshad Pastakia. While working under him, Namrata was offered to work for Farah Khan Hand Hoon Na, during which she styled actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Zayed Khan and Amrita Rao. It was then that Namrata began to be recognized for her work.
fight for rights
During her fight against Union and her success in a male-dominated industry, Namrata said, “Dharma Productions, Farah Khan and Sonam Kapoor were extremely supportive of me, and they wanted me to be part of the industry. and stood up for me.”
Namrata’s roadblocks, however, did not stop there. “Even today, when I go to meetings, my expertise is questioned…sometimes people assume that female artists can’t work nights on sets,” she adds.
Namrata Soni at work | Source: Twitter
However, Namrata says what broke her heart the most was when she didn’t find support from other women in the industry when she was just starting out.
“But this trip made me who I am today: a woman who cannot be bullied and who will stand up for her rights and the right she has today,” Namrata says.
Two decades in the industry, Namrata refuses to get a union card for herself. “It’s my choice whether or not to be part of the Union.”
Take the path to entrepreneurship
Namrata launched her beauty brand Simply Nam in December 2020. Designed in Scandinavia, with the Indian woman, climate and lifestyle in mind, Simply Nam launched a makeup remover and cleansing towel. “It’s an eco-friendly alternative to makeup remover wipes,” she explains.
But why entrepreneurship? “I have been looking to create my own brand for seven years. It took me all this time to find the right partner and the right team,” she adds.
Namrata embarked on this adventure in association with Bozzil, a Swedish multi-market incubator launching influencer brands in emerging markets. “I want to create a clean beauty line and I want everyone to be aware of the carbon footprint. Today I have a voice that people admire and I feel I have the ability to change,” adds Namrata.
Namrata Soni poses with Simply Nam makeup remover and cleansing towel
Currently, Namrata is gearing up to launch more products this year, and the makeup artist recently completed her project for the upcoming Bollywood movie. Bunty and Babli-2.
The art and the artist
Talking about her favorite painting, Namrata says she would not hesitate to exclaim “Sonam Kapoor”. She says, Sonam’s movie Aisha was closest to his heart. Namrata had just lost her mother, and this project allowed her to continue her everyday life.
His work for Om Shanti Om Namrata won the IIFA in 2008, in the “Best Makeup” category.
Namrata says it was also the hardest project she has ever been on. “I had to create the aging makeup for the film, which was shot in an extremely humid city like Bombay (Bombay). Makeup usually stays fresh for up to seven hours, but shooting takes 12 to 18 hours,” says Namrata.
In 2019, Namrata also received the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Award For his work.
Namrata Soni received the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Award for her work in 2019
Namrata seeks inspiration from international makeup artists like Pat McGarth and Kevin James Aucoin.
Her advice to budding makeup artists would be: “Makeup is like a reflection of the inner beauty of the person sitting in the chair. Respect this beauty and the person, highlight what she already has in her. It’s like painting a canvas that reflects who they are, don’t change that.
