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Designs on you
You've got to hand it to them. The mother-daughter duo of Usha and Ekta Shah has left their mark on hands across the globe. When Usha began her career as a mehndi artist almost 28 years ago all she earned was Rs 15. Today a celeb hand gets 'designed' for as much as Rs 1 lakh!!!
The art of applying mehndi has undergone a quantum leap and is now looked upon with respectability. As against yesteryears when women applying mehndi were merely referred to as mehndiwallis today they are called mehndi artists. Usha Shah is one such artist who has traversed the long road and is currently a sought-after name both in Bollywood and among top business houses.
In an exclusive interview she talks about her arduous journey, current mehndi trends, and of course her celeb clients.
Click here to watch the slideshow of her celeb clients
 Early Days
"The first 'big' hand I applied mehndi on was Veena, daughter of the top industrialist Mittal. After this it so happened that my interview appeared in an inflight magazine. Namrata (Sunil Dutt's daughter) happened to read it on one of her flights and she went out of her way to get my details and this was my big Bollywood break. Not only did I do her wedding mehndi but my name spread by word of mouth and I was soon called by most big film personalities for their weddings."
Born in a Marwari family,  Usha was exposed to the mehndi culture very early in life as Marwaris celebrate every occasion with mehndi. An event as simple as going to the in-laws house after a stay at the maternal home will call for a mehndi ceremony. Hence Usha learnt the art of mehndi designs at a very young age. After her marriage to a Gujarati, Usha continued this profession. "Financially, we were faced with difficulties and hence it was a need that propelled me to continue," Usha explains. "But my husband supported me and would drop me and pick me up from the client's house. Slowly I noticed that my daughter Ekta was very interested in this art form. Initially, I did not want her to concentrate on it as I wanted her to complete her studies. She went on to become a commercial artist and also did her law," says the proud mother.
Ekta was only 13 when she did her first celeb client, Poonam Dhillon. After which she carried on with her studies and would occasionally accompany her mother to observe her at work. Today she is an accomplished mehndi and tattoo artist. Married and settled in the US, Ekta is building up her client list in the US. When either of them has a 'big' wedding they fly down to assist each other.
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