His brush is his wand that creates magic on people’s faces on their big days. Sandeep Molugu aka Sandy wakes up every day to make his clients look fab on their special occasions. From doing his own makeup as a dancer to being a sought-after makeup artist today, he sure has come a long way.
Sandy's interest in makeup is not something newfound, he grew up idolising the beautiful women he watched on screen. "Even as a kid, I was always inclined towards beauty and makeup. I would watch all these beautiful actresses on the silver screen and wondered how they had big lashes and perfect hair. I was curious to know what they are up to and this drew me toward fashion. I was a boy who wanted to grow up and put some makeup on my face, I also appreciated and admired beauty around me," he says.
And because he was into dancing and other extracurricular activities in school, Sandy loved the fact that he had to put on makeup to get on stage. He continues, "I later joined the Shiamak Davar group and would experiment on my face and my friends'. People loved it and pushed me to pursue it as a career and because it came so naturally to me, I thought 'why not'!"
Sandy's journey came with its own set of challenges but they are something he welcomes with open arms. "Anything that's new and difficult is a challenge I'm willing to take up. Never have I seen my peers as competition, I have always looked up to seniors for inspiration," he says.
He lists artists like Elton Fernandez and Nikki (London) as some of his inspirations: "Elton too, just like me, quit his corporate job to follow his heart."
Working with stars in the film industry sure comes with a lot of pressure and Sandy doesn't deny that. "Dealing with them is always a pressure, especially because nobody has a lot of time to sit through hours of makeup. But it's this pressure that thrills me to get better at what I do. Some of my clients like Upasana Kamineni and Lakshmi Manchu are extremely busy people, so I have very little time to create magic and I'm grateful that I'm able to. In my line of work, we are all programmed to work amid pressure," he shares, calling it part and parcel of life.
He recently worked with Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone and opens up about working with her. "She is warm and welcoming enough to thank me for taking time out for her! I never felt like I was working with some big star, and it’s the same with all of them - Upasana and Lakshmi are like family, although I tend to get a little nervous around the latter," he laughs.
The big shot that he has grown to be, Sandy is gearing up to give his first TED Talk. He shares a little about how it's going to be: "It's mostly about my story as a child, the struggles on my journey to where I am today and the stigma around the stereotypical mindset that plays around men who are makeup artists. I'd be more than grateful if my story can inspire even a single soul."
Above all, Sandy considers it pure joy to be able to help people feel good about themselves through his makeup. "To know I can help someone smile wider on their big day is a great feeling," he signs off.