National award-winning artist Vikram Gaikwad dies; Deputy CM Eknath Shinde mourns his loss

MUMBAI: The Indian film industry has lost one of its most gifted behind-the-scenes craftsmen as renowned makeup artist Vikram Gaikwad passed away in Mumbai on Saturday.

Widely respected for his transformative work in cinema, Gaikwad was a recipient of the National Film Award for Best Makeup Artist on seven occasions. He was 65.

Gaikwad’s funeral will occur at 4:30 pm on Saturday at the Shivaji Park Crematorium in Dadar. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed deep sorrow over Gaikwad’s passing.

In a heartfelt message posted on social media, Shinde described Gaikwad as “a magician who brought characters to life on the silver screen.”

He emphasised that Gaikwad’s work was instrumental in shaping the visual legacy of Indian cinema, particularly in historical and biographical films.

“The magician who brought characters to life on the silver screen has disappeared!” wrote Shinde.

“His ability to transform actors and bring fictional and real-life personalities to the screen was nothing short of extraordinary. His passing is an irreparable loss to the world of cinema and art,” he wrote on X.

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 began his illustrious career with the film ‘Sardar’ and went on to become a transformative force in makeup artistry for both Bollywood and regional cinema.

His extensive credits include major Hindi films such as ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’, ‘Dangal’, ‘PK’, ‘Omkara’, ‘Delhi-6’, ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Kaminey’, ‘Ishqiya’, and ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, among others.

He was equally revered in Marathi cinema for his work on historical films like ‘Lokmanya’, ‘Fatteshikast,’ and ‘Sher Shivraj’. (ANI)