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National Award-winning prosthetics artist Preetisheel Singh D’souza spoke about her journey in the film industry on International Women’s Day, highlighting women’s growing presence in technical roles. An electrical engineer-turned-makeup artist, she has worked on films like Gangubai Kathiawadi and Haider, creating complex character transformations through prosthetic design and makeup.

Mumbai: When discussions about women in the Indian film industry take place, attention usually centres on actresses, directors or producers. However, several women working behind the scenes are making equally powerful contributions to cinema. One such professional is Preetisheel Singh D'souza, a character designer, prosthetics artist, makeup artist and hair designer who has carved a niche for herself in a highly specialised technical field.

National Recognition and the Art of Transformation

Preetisheel, 42, has won two National Awards for her work in Nanak Shah Fakir and Gangubai Kathiawadi. She also worked on the critically acclaimed film Haider, for which she received recognition at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Singh spoke about her journey, the challenges she faced and the role of women in technical departments of cinema.

Interestingly, Preetisheel’s journey into the film industry began far from the world of cinema. She graduated from Punjab College of Engineering and Technology in Chandigarh with a degree in electrical engineering and worked as an engineer for nearly five years. However, her passion for creativity eventually pushed her to take a different path. Determined to pursue her interest in character transformation, she moved to Los Angeles and studied prosthetic makeup at the Cinema Makeup School.