a day ago
‘Chamayappura' to demystify the art of make-up
The Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi's national make-up workshop, Chamayappura, led by eminent make-up artist Pattanam Rasheed, began on Friday. Film director Kamal formally inaugurated the workshop and spoke about the often-overlooked, yet crucial, role of make-up in visual storytelling.
'Just as much as acting, make-up is instrumental in connecting the story and its characters to the audience. Unfortunately, many fail to recognise its importance,' Mr. Kamal remarked. Citing the film Celluloid, he highlighted how Mr. Rasheed's mastery of make-up brought actor Prithviraj closer to the real-life persona of J.C. Daniel, Kerala's first filmmaker. 'It wasn't just a transformation of the actor, but a complete recreation of an era and its people. That is Rasheed's genius,' he said.
Akademi executive member Saheer Ali presided over the function. Akademi Secretary Karivellur Murali and Programme Officer V.K. Anilkumar also spoke.
Mr. Rasheed marked the beginning of the first session by demonstrating a live transformation. In front of a captivated audience of participants, cameras, and art enthusiasts, he began applying makeup on actor Sunil Sukhada, gradually transforming him to an elderly man.
'In the world of make-up, I am still a student,' Mr. Rasheed said. He expressed his desire to make make-up artistry accessible to more people, beyond the domain of just a few experts.
He added, 'This workshop is part of a larger dream, to professionalise the field and give everyone a chance to learn. As I teach others, I continue to learn new things myself. That is the beauty of this art form.' Mr. Rasheed also appreciated the Akademi's initiative in recognising the importance of makeup through such a national-level workshop.
Mr. Kamal distributed workshop kits to the 30 selected participants, officially launching the hands-on training component.
The Chamayappura workshop, being attended by artists from across the country, will be on till June 26.
