Inside Dhurandhar's massive makeover: Aditya Dhar praises look designer Preetisheel

Aditya Dhar honours the exceptional makeup work that brought Dhurandhar's characters to life in his appreciation post for makeup and prosthetics artist Preetisheel Singh.

In Short

• Aditya Dhar applauds Preetisheel Singh’s makeup and prosthetics work
• Singh transformed Ranveer Singh into Hamza and Arjun Rampal into Major Iqbal
• Dhar changed his view after meeting Singh, calls her warm and skilled

Aditya Dhar has praised the official makeup and prosthetics artist Preetisheel Singh, crediting her for some of the most striking looks in Dhurandhar: The Revenge.

From Ranveer Singh’s intense Hamza avatar to Arjun Rampal’s chilling transformation as Major Iqbal, Dhar said it was Singh’s artistry that brought these characters to life on screen.

The director shared a heartfelt note recognising Singh’s talent and dedication on X, calling her “family” and reflecting on their journey together. “Here’s to Preetisheel, my Sardarni sister from Pathankot. Mera Sher,” he began, before admitting he had initial reservations based on industry chatter. “When I first heard her name, I’ll be honest, I was hesitant And then I met her. In that one meeting, all of it just fell apart,” he wrote, adding that the experience taught him not to rely on “borrowed opinions," he wrote.

Dhar described Singh as not just a highly skilled artist but also a “warm, grounded and fiercely loving human being.” He recalled sharing laughter and long conversations with her during the challenging shoot, which helped make difficult days manageable. And her constant encouragement, quoting her as saying, “Aditya, tujhe pata nahi hai tu kya cheez hai”

Dhar praised the extraordinary commitment she and her team showed, often working on set with very little rest.

Highlighting the scale of work on the film, Dhar revealed that Singh and her team created over a hundred character designs across both parts of Dhurandhar including complex ones like Nawab Shafiq and Bade Saab. They transformed thousands of faces, including nearly 20,000 junior artists. Despite gruelling schedules and minimal rest, he said the team worked with unwavering dedication and without complaint.

Dhar emphasised that Singh’s focus was never just on appearance but on making every character feel real and honest. He noted her respect for each face as if it had its own story to tell, which he called rare.

“For Preeti, it was never about ‘looks’. It was always about people,” he noted, praising her commitment to authenticity and storytelling through every character.

Today, Dhar considers Singh not only his head of department but also family and a constant presence in his life and work. He thanked her for her belief and dedication to Dhurandhar.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge, currently running in theatres, is written, directed, and produced by Aditya Dhar. The film stars Ranveer Singh in the lead role, alongside Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor, and Sara Arjun. The film was released in theatres on March 19.

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