Right from battling self-esteem issues to establishing a successful career in the glamour industry, I’ve built my own empire. I got married at the age of 17. With only a diploma in Home Science, I moved to Muscat with my husband in 1992. Make-up has always been my calling. As a child, I would spend hours in front of the mirror trying out new looks. After marriage, my husband encouraged me to pursue courses to upgrade my skills. I enrolled myself in international diploma programmes in the US, UK, Singapore and Malaysia. After the completion of my education, we had to shift to India in 2000.
The scenario here was laid-back. I couldn’t get a job. Nobody acknowledged make-up artists as professionals and feared to invest in advertisements. My first assignment was with a friend in 2002. I had done make-up for models for a photoshoot. That’s when my career began as a freelance make-up artist. While practising, in 2007, I got an opportunity to travel to many cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad. The fashion designers acknowledged me as an aspiring fresher. Working pan-India brought in confidence, shaped up my personality. I learned to fight my inhibitions and drew courage to experiment. My work got recognition through word-of-mouth.
I soon opened Shree Bridal Creations in Anna Nagar. What started out as a 150 sq ft place is currently 1,000 sq ft. Till date, a part of my salary goes towards pursuing international make-up courses of my interest. I specialise in eye make-up, bridal make-up and body art. My profession as a make-up artist was not well-received by my relatives and family members. However, my husband and children have always stood by my side.
My assignments revolve around dispelling the aversion towards dark-skinned people. The initiative stems from my childhood incidents when kids used to tease me for my dusky skin and plump physique. Having been a victim of body shaming, I decided to work towards meaningful projects. Dark is Divine (2016) — a photo series that reimagined god with dark skin, is one such. It dawned upon me that when it took three rounds of contour to transform a fair model into dark-skinned, I was blessed to adapt naturally with my skin tone.
Modelling was a new card and it changed my perspective towards self. I was surprised that my skin tone or weight did not matter for the first time. I was trolled on social media for wearing clothes that revealed my bust line and legs. The industry is such that people get judgmental about everything and I was mentally prepared. I stayed away from the gossips and concentrated on my career.
In 2017, I got an opportunity to take part in the Mrs India beauty pageant. I had never worn heels until then. For someone who has never worked out, burning calories was a daunting task. With the help of a dietician friend and exercises, I shed 40 kg in three years. I bagged the first runner up title ‘Dazzle Mrs India Universe’. I suffered a ligament tear and couldn’t walk properly for three years. That incident motivated me to stay fit.
During the whole process of transformation and weight loss, instances of family members mocking my physical appearance and underestimating my calibre kept reverberating in my mind. I had a messed up sleep cycle, skipped meals and travelled odd hours. But my being fat was never a hindrance or an excuse.
It was also at that time when a celebrity photographer exposed me to the concept of plus size modelling. Can a model also be fat? Names like Ashley Graham and Robyn Lawley are an inspiration to me now. It’s been a good 18-year journey. I’ve worked with many celebrity photographers, modelled for many social causes and garnered patrons. This profession introduced me to professionals and mentors from the LGBT community who excelled in their work. There’s been no looking back.
Dark is beautiful
My assignments revolve around dispelling the aversion towards dark-skinned people. The initiative stems from my childhood incidents when kids used to tease me for my dusky skin and plump physique. Having been a victim, I decided to work towards meaningful projects.