National Award-winning makeup artist Vikram Gaikwad, who transformed some of Indian cinema’s most iconic characters through his extraordinary skills, passed away on Saturday morning in Mumbai. He was 61.
According to his younger brother Dr. Prasanna Paranjpe, Gaikwad had been admitted to Hiranandani Hospital in Powai three days ago due to blood pressure-related complications. “His BP was going low, and we were not able to revive him. He was quite well when admitted. We didn’t expect he would pass away so suddenly,” he told PTI. Gaikwad breathed his last around 8:30 am.
About Vikram Gaikwad
A master craftsman in the field of cinematic transformation, Vikram Gaikwad’s career spanned over three decades across Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali cinema. He was widely respected for his ability to recreate real-life personalities and period characters with astonishing precision. His impeccable work included prosthetic transformations, realistic aging techniques, and historically accurate looks.
Gaikwad was celebrated for his work in films like ’83’, ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’, ‘Tanhaji’, ‘Sanju’, ‘PK’, ‘Dangal’, ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Omkara’, and regional hits like ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, ‘Balgandharva’, and ‘Katyar Kaljat Ghusali’.
He received the National Film Award for Best Makeup Artist twice—first in 2012 for Vidya Balan’s transformation in The Dirty Picture, and again in 2014 for the Bengali biopic Jaatishwar.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde condoles Vikram Gaikwad’s death
Mourning his death, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde wrote on X (formerly Twitter):”With Vikram Gaikwad’s passing, we have lost a magician who breathed life into characters on screen through his makeup artistry. He turned the impossible into visual reality.”
रुपेरी पडद्यावर व्यक्तिरेखा जिवंत करणारा जादुगार हरपला!
राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार विजेते सुप्रसिद्ध रंगभूषाकार विक्रम गायकवाड यांचे आज दुःखद निधन झालं. त्यांच्या जाण्याने रंगभूषेतून पडद्यावर व्यक्तिरेखा जिवंत करणारा एक जादुगार आपल्यातून निघून गेला आहे.
रंगभूषाकार म्हणून ‘सरदार’ या…
— Eknath Shinde – एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) May 10, 2025
Gaikwad’s final rites will be performed at Shivaji Park crematorium in Dadar.
His passing marks the end of an era in Indian film makeup, leaving behind a legacy of innovation, discipline, and cinematic excellence.
