Showing posts with label Female make-up artistes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Female make-up artistes. Show all posts
Women can do only hair and men only makeup; how can such role exist-Sonam Kapoor
7:42 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; November 18, 2014)
The union in Mumbai had
defined some archaic and illogical rules for professionals working in
the film industry.
1) That females cannot be makeup artists and males cannot be hair stylists.
2) That a professional cannot take up two professions. By this logic, the same person cannot do hair and makeup.
3) You will not be made a member of the union unless you have lived in the city for five years. And until you are a member of the union, you cannot work. Therefore, by implication, if you have not lived in the city of Mumbai for five years, you cannot work as a professional in the film business.
While for years, this rule has conveniently been used by the union to protect their own members and, of course, have their own self-proclaimed right to harass and demand bribes from professionals who don't adhere, Charu Khurana, a female makeup artist from Delhi, decided to challenge the rule that did not allow females to be makeup artists. The Supreme Court of our country has rightfully upheld her right to not only work as a female makeup artist in Mumbai, but also asked for the deletion of the clause that requires you to be a resident for five years before you can work. Excerpts from a conversation with the fashion diva Sonam Kapoor on her view post the judgement.
Sonam, what is your view post the Supreme Court's verdict on giving women equal rights as men when it comes to makeup artists?
Women can do only hair and men only makeup. I don't even understand how can such a rule exist in the first place. Men can be doctors and women can't be, is it? Who are the union to say who can work and who can't. Charu Khurana's fight should not have been going on for so long. It's ridiculous that she had to go up to the Supreme Court. That itself is ridiculous. It's like how 50 years back, they would say that women can't be chefs or pilots or doctors. It's the same thing. It's not about a woman or a man, if you are good at your job, you will have a job. If you are not good at a job you will not have a job. If men are scared that women will come and steal their jobs, then that does not make them a man any more. It's a scary chauvinistic way of looking at things and that too, from the dinosaur ages. As per the labour law, you can't do two jobs. So you can't be a makeup artist along with being a hair stylist. That's like saying that if I am an actor, I can't be producer or a director. Isn't that weird? It doesn't matter to me whether my stylist Namrata Soni is a woman or a man. What is important is that she is the best professional for my face. The rule is equally unfair for men at the moment, who are not allowed to do hair. That too, needs to change.
THE IRRATIONAL LAW IN 5 STATES - MAHARASHTRA, KERALA, KARNATAKA, ANDHRA PRADESH AND TAMIL NADU
Prior to the Supreme Court ruling, only women could do hair and men, makeup. Now, women have been allowed to do makeup also. If you need to work there, you need proof that you have stayed there for five years. This means people from one state cannot work in another state. This clause has been deleted for Mumbai.
TIMES VIEW
Archaic rules and irrational forced policing must stop by the unions in Mumbai. Just as women have now been allowed to do makeup, men must be allowed to do hair. We live in a free world and economy where the best man or woman must get the job.
1) That females cannot be makeup artists and males cannot be hair stylists.
2) That a professional cannot take up two professions. By this logic, the same person cannot do hair and makeup.
3) You will not be made a member of the union unless you have lived in the city for five years. And until you are a member of the union, you cannot work. Therefore, by implication, if you have not lived in the city of Mumbai for five years, you cannot work as a professional in the film business.
While for years, this rule has conveniently been used by the union to protect their own members and, of course, have their own self-proclaimed right to harass and demand bribes from professionals who don't adhere, Charu Khurana, a female makeup artist from Delhi, decided to challenge the rule that did not allow females to be makeup artists. The Supreme Court of our country has rightfully upheld her right to not only work as a female makeup artist in Mumbai, but also asked for the deletion of the clause that requires you to be a resident for five years before you can work. Excerpts from a conversation with the fashion diva Sonam Kapoor on her view post the judgement.
Sonam, what is your view post the Supreme Court's verdict on giving women equal rights as men when it comes to makeup artists?
Women can do only hair and men only makeup. I don't even understand how can such a rule exist in the first place. Men can be doctors and women can't be, is it? Who are the union to say who can work and who can't. Charu Khurana's fight should not have been going on for so long. It's ridiculous that she had to go up to the Supreme Court. That itself is ridiculous. It's like how 50 years back, they would say that women can't be chefs or pilots or doctors. It's the same thing. It's not about a woman or a man, if you are good at your job, you will have a job. If you are not good at a job you will not have a job. If men are scared that women will come and steal their jobs, then that does not make them a man any more. It's a scary chauvinistic way of looking at things and that too, from the dinosaur ages. As per the labour law, you can't do two jobs. So you can't be a makeup artist along with being a hair stylist. That's like saying that if I am an actor, I can't be producer or a director. Isn't that weird? It doesn't matter to me whether my stylist Namrata Soni is a woman or a man. What is important is that she is the best professional for my face. The rule is equally unfair for men at the moment, who are not allowed to do hair. That too, needs to change.
THE IRRATIONAL LAW IN 5 STATES - MAHARASHTRA, KERALA, KARNATAKA, ANDHRA PRADESH AND TAMIL NADU
Prior to the Supreme Court ruling, only women could do hair and men, makeup. Now, women have been allowed to do makeup also. If you need to work there, you need proof that you have stayed there for five years. This means people from one state cannot work in another state. This clause has been deleted for Mumbai.
TIMES VIEW
Archaic rules and irrational forced policing must stop by the unions in Mumbai. Just as women have now been allowed to do makeup, men must be allowed to do hair. We live in a free world and economy where the best man or woman must get the job.
Illogical ban on female make-up artistes lifted; industry reacts
7:56 AM
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; November 11, 2014)
The Supreme Court has finally ended the reign of male make-up artistes in the film and television industry, terming it “an absolute violation of constitutional value and norms”. Upholding a petition filed by make-up artiste, Charu Khurana, the apex court ruled that no discrimination should be made on the basis of gender and domicile.
Khurana, who had been fighting this case for more than four years, is thrilled with the verdict and likely to get a membership card of the Cine Costume Make Up Artistes and Hair Dressers Association in the next 10 days. Industry sources say around 1,500 make-up men are part of the association.
However, the judgment does not seem to have gone down well with the male make up artistes. They are worried that they may go out of job if women are given membership. Sharad Shelar, president of the association, says, “Following the court order, we will issue cards to women artistes but they will not be eligible to do both make-up and hairstyling. If the union starts issuing cards for both the jobs, male members will suffer. We will also look at their qualifications before issuing the membership cards.”
Veteran make-up artiste Jaywant Thakre, who won an award for Devdas, does not pull his punches while talking about women entering what was hitherto a male bastion. He says, “I don’t feel threatened and am not against women artistes but our field is such that is not going to be easy for them. Right now, they are all excited (about the court verdict) but the ground reality is something else. I fear that they will tend to use gender to their advantage — there have been similar cases in the past. I also fear women’s entry will finish the career of male artistes, who are considering it as a profession.”
While Shelar says about five to six applications from women artistes for membership are pending with him, hairstylist Namrata Soni has decided that she will not become a member. She recalls a recent incident when members from the make-up association landed up on the sets of Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo when she was fixing Sonam Kapoor’s hair. She says, “They couldn’t reach me and instead, met Salman Khan. I have been harassed a lot of times in the past but have never paid a fine (the penalty is Rs 15,000). It had once happened on Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om sets but she stood up for me. I will never take membership nor will I pay a fine. India is a free country and one is allowed to practise any profession. I don’t care about the union.”
Thakre does not react kindly
to Soni’s statement. “She does not have a make-up artiste membership
card. She only has a hairstylist card and is taking away somebody else’s work which is unfair,” he retorts.
Filmmaker Farah Khan, who became the first woman to enter the Rs 100-crore club with Happy New Year, sides with the women artistes. “I am
thrilled with the judgment. When this ban existed, I always tried
to go around it by hiring women make-up artistes and no union member
dared to come on my sets. It was a 100- year old archaic law when men
used to dress up as women and act in movies. If a woman can make a movie
why can’t she do make-up,” she asks.
Aamir Khan echoes Farah. “I
welcome the decision of the Supreme Court. This was long over due,” he
says.On the other hand, actress-turned- producer Pooja Bhatt takes a neutral stand, stating: “I will not hire someone on the basis of gender but skills.”
Tireless crusader
Charu Khurana had formally applied for membership as a make-up professional in 2009 but it was turned down. Then she approached Dinesh Chaturvedi of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), who issued a letter allowing her to work as a make-up artiste across the country.
But when Charu went to Chennai in search of work, she was in for a rude shock — the association in the South refused to honour the FWICE letter. Disheartened, she filed a complaint with the National Commission for Women (NCW) against industry rules that stated that only men could be make-up artistes and women just hairdressers. NCW presented her case to the Supreme Court last year.
During the last five years, Charu lost out on several projects, including South films, due to the make- up unions’ interference. Now, with the SC’s judgment, a brighter future awaits her. “As I was not allowed to go on the sets, I had to share my earnings with others. But this judgment will help me bounce back,” she says.
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