Before she was designing prosthetics for Bollywood’s biggest biopics, Soamaa Goswami was dancing in Saroj Khan’s troupe. That unlikely pivot from choreography to character design has taken her from assisting on Sanju and Chhapaak to leading the look design for Rocket Boys, The Railway Men, Amar Singh Chamkila, and most recently and Alpha. With Rashmika Mandanna’s Mysaa, and South Indian projects like Dragon and Fauji on her plate, she reflects on her unconventional journey, the craft behind the camera, and more.
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Can you take us through your journey?
It’s a unique journey because I never planned to become a makeup artist. I was a dancer with Saroj Khan’s troupe before realising in 2013 that dancing wasn’t a long-term career. Through an old friend, I assisted British prosthetics artist Clover Wootton, whose work inspired me to pursue prosthetics over beauty makeup. With her, I worked on Sanju and Chhapaak. My first independent film was Pari, after which I began designing my own characters and prosthetics.
How has the experience been working with Imtiaz Ali on Amar Singh Chamkila and Main Wapas Aaunga?
Working with Imtiaz sir was always on my bucket list. When I got the call from his office, I had goosebumps. During Amar Singh Chamkila, he explained who Chamkila really was. The biggest challenge was transforming Diljit Dosanjh because his personality is completely opposite to Chamkila’s. Diljit has a polished image, while Chamkila was a raw village boy. I told him to trust me, and thankfully every look worked well. Imtiaz sir allows every technician to bring their creativity to the table. He guides you but never limits your ideas. He’s an incredible team leader, and because of that every department delivers its best work. At our first meeting, I promised him I would do my best. He smiled and said, ‘Everyone says that. We’ll see on set.’ When the shoot ended, he hugged me and said, ‘Soamaa, you were the best.’ That confidence and respect meant everything to me. Later, I worked on a web series with his brother Arif Ali and then Main Wapas Aaunga. Now, whenever we’re on set, he introduces me to actors by saying, ‘Soamaa is the best for her job.’ For me, that appreciation from Imtiaz sir is an award in itself.
How was your experience been working with Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in Alpha?
Both characters are very different. Sharvari’s character is deeply connected to her family, while Alia plays someone who has trained like a warrior from childhood. I’ve seen both of them work incredibly hard for the film, training in action, swimming, horse riding and bike riding. That level of preparation is what every actor needs, and both are completely dedicated.
You have also worked with Rashmika Mandanna in Mysaa. Can you take us through the process?
Mysaa is a South Indian project shot in Hyderabad. Rashmika is generally known for her soft and delicate image, but here she plays a revenge-driven action character. Despite all the blood, wounds and heavy makeup, she never complained. She was extremely cooperative and completely dedicated to the role. Apart from Mysaa, I’m also working in Hyderabad on Dragon with Prashanth Neel and Fauji with Hanu Raghavapudi. I’ll also be working on a film with Gopichand, where audiences will see him in a very different look.
How has your experience been working in Tollywood?
The South industry is quite different from Bollywood. Bollywood follows a more structured system for hair, makeup and technical departments, while things here work differently. But the scale of filmmaking is huge, and the directors have tremendous respect for talent. I feel blessed to have become a part of the Telugu film industry.
Your most memorable transformation?
I’m especially proud of and is close to my heart is The Railway Men. I became emotionally attached to it because it was based on real events. Recreating those characters and that world with authenticity made the experience incredibly meaningful. Amar Singh Chamkila is another milestone. I’m also grateful to be a part of Main Wapas Aaunga, where I was entrusted with designing all the hair, makeup and character looks. Working alongside legends like Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh and Rajat Kapoor has been enriching. What stands out about them is how calm, professional and grounded they are despite their immense stature.
What’s the longest you’ve spent creating a single character look?
Right now, I’m working on Fauji, which we have been shooting for almost two years, and I’m still designing new looks as more actors join the film. For prosthetics, the most time-consuming work has been the burn makeup for Agni with Rahul Dholakia and later Khauf. Full-body burn makeup takes the longest. Bald caps or ageing makeup usually take one to two hours, while some looks in Sanju took three to four hours.