matinee Shilpa inaugurates make- up institute

Shilpa Shetty’s make- upman for many years, Ajay Shelar, opened his make- up institute, and the actress took time off for a day to inaugurate it.

“If I have sacrificed a Sunday, which I spend with my family to inaugurate this on Gudi Padwa, then he must be really very important to me. We actors spend more time with our makeup artistes and staff than our own families. So he is like my extended family. I can’t tell you for how many years, because you will know my age,” she guffaws, and adds, “If I get compliments for my looks, it’s because of him,” she says.

Ajay, on the other hand, lets out a few secrets about Shilpa. “She loves make- up, and if there is anything that is the trend she wants to be up to date; be it smokey eyes or anything. She will keep sending me reference pictures, saying that she would want her makeup to be in a certain manner,” smiles Shelar. “Make- up keeps changing. We would put heavy eyes, and a lot of make- up. Now it is more of a no make- up look. I keep giving references, and when I travel abroad, I pick up some cosmetics and bring it to Ajay. I then ask him to experiment,” says Shilpa, who recently finished 25 years in the business.

“I often think as to how I have lasted this long. I haven’t planned it, but the blessings of my parents and the love of fans and the media have kept me going. That’s my attitude at work,” she says.

“Actors spend more time with our make- up artistes and staff than our own families”