Gulzar Saab’s Incredible Reaction to Vicky Kaushal as Sam Manekshaw: Interview with Shrikant Desai | – Times of India

An actor goes the extra mile to embody a character, whether it involves hitting the gym, shedding weight, or gaining weight. Yet, the crucial element that brings a character to life is the expertise of a look designer and make-up artist.
ETimes had the privilege of chatting with Shrikant Desai, the creative force behind the looks in films such as ‘Sam Bahadur,’ ‘Animal,’ ‘Jorum,’ and Laxman Utekar’s upcoming period drama ‘Chhawa.’ Reflecting on his career, Desai, inspired by a story about his favorite make-up designer in a film magazine, expressed contentment with choosing this profession.He noted the positive shift in perception over the years, with people now encouraging careers in the field.
Describing his recent collaboration with Meghna Gulzar on ‘Sam Bahadur,’ Desai praised her as a brilliant director with a vision. Discussing the process of finalising Vicky Kaushal‘s appearance as Sam Manekshaw, Desai explained, “It was way before we actually started shooting for the film. We had a look test with Vicky for the film. Since Sam Manekshaw was a Parsi guy, we had to look into the details accordingly. To make a person look more relatable, one has to keep in mind his eyes and ears. They are the most important features to make someone look in a different way. So we worked on those aspects. After which come the gestures and other features.”

Recalling a pivotal moment during the look test, Desai mentioned Gulzar Saab’s presence and the remarkable reaction to Vicky Kaushal as Sam Manekshaw. “I still remember Gulzar Saab being present during our look test, and once I was done with the look, Vicky was sitting in a make-up room in a certain way. Gulzar ji and Meghna ji entered the room, and the twinkle in Gulzar ji’s eyes after seeing Vicky as Sam Manekshaw was admirable. It was giving me proof that I had done a good job. It was a pat on the shoulder for the work I did. Gulzar Saab’s reaction to seeing Vicky Kaushal as Sam Manekshaw was incredible,” Desai narrated.
Shrikant, who also crafted Ranbir Kapoor’s look in ‘Animal,’ expressed his aspirations to collaborate with Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in the future, praising the comfort and rapport he shares with actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, and Manoj Bajpayee. He concluded, “Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, and Manoj Bajpayee are very comfortable to work with. We have a good rapport right now after working on a few projects. But I want to work with Shah Rukh and Salman.”