Tattoos are not mere designs that are in vogue, it is a personal narrative engraved beautifully on your skin. Here is what goes behind when a celebrity gets a tattoo!
Art is a form of expression of the multitude of emotions that flow within us. It is expressive. It is emblematic. It is an emotion. Tattoo is not merely an ink, it is like a story inked on the canvas of our skin. It is deeply etched in our blood quite literally. The art of tattoo has its roots in the days of yore. It is a cultural heritage that has taken the shape of the contemporary mould of time. Today, several celebrities, and public figures can be seen with different inks on their body. No, it is no more just a symbol of some rebel gone rogue, it is an emotion, it is a triumph, it is a memory.
Recently, Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor got a new tattoo that went viral (of course, it did) on the internet. It is a phoenix bird inked on his calf and is currently the most sizeable tattoo on his body. It was inked by Sakshi Panwar, a celebrated tattoo dot and line work, artist who worked at Alien Studios owned by Sunny Bhanushali, the same person who inked Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya too. Speaking to india.com exclusively, Sunny delved into what goes behind these celebrated tattoos of celebrities. Kapoor also got his tattoo from Alien Studios on the recommendation of the former Indian Skipper who himself boasts of the many milestones and happy narratives symbolising their narrative on his skin.
What actually goes behind these tattoos?
As Greek mythology goes, a phoenix is supposed to rise from the ashes and that is exactly what it symbolises for the ‘Gundaay’ actor. In the backdrop of the turmoil ebbing in his life, both professionally and personally, Arjun has risen and continues to rise and resurrect. It symbolises an unwavering dedication to never give up.
“It was not just one event which is connected to his tattoo. It was how his youth passed, how the challenges he faced in the film industry, what all challenges went into when he was part of a big featured film. It was also about how people around him demotivated him, he was kind of frowned upon when he started. He survived and came up bright and big. Unke life mai aise bahut sare incidents hai which were hard and heavy but he has this tendency to overcome and comes back really strong and powerful,” said Sunny.
Elaborating on what went behind curating and designing its, Sunny added, “It started with WhatsApp calls and video calls. I started working on a design based on his stories, life stories, purpose and beliefs. The word ‘Rise’ was of his choice jo unke belief se align hota hai.”
Similarly For Virat Kohli, Sunny said, that his armband tattoo is weaved around several of his life stories, milestones, beliefs etc.
What is it like Getting into Celeb Psyche?
Inking is not merely grabbing the pen and retracing a design. For artists like Sunny and his team, it is about getting into the psyche of the person, personality and more. Sunny tells India.com that it is not without hurdles to work for celebrities. It entails its challenges.
“Ek challenge yeh hota hai ki they have less amount of time. It is not easy to communicate that often with them. Unke paas meeting ka time kam hota hai. We have to be ready with design ideas, themes, and mood boards. Casual attitude nhi chalta with celebrities. We have to be on point with them.”
Furthering the conversation on what goes behind these famous people tattoos, the founder of Alien Studio said, “Celebrities are not getting tattoos out of trends. Arjun Kapoor has been thinking about this for last 2-3 years. He has a strong story to this as well.” To convert this story to an art form, even they need to research and wish for the best who can best comprehend their ideas and ink that narrative on skin.
“We have rigorous exercise before actually designing it. We want to know the person, then we know what the design tastes. The first call is about knowing the personality and accordingly mood boards, and references are put forth. Kya pasand hai, light or dark theme…Once we know the priority we get an overall idea, then we start the design.”
5 Things to Be Mindful Before Getting a Tattoo
- Should pregnant women or lactating mothers get a tattoo? Sunny stated that, “We also do not recommend this for safety reasons. We do not make tattoo for pregnant women or who recently gave birth.” It is because of chemical or lead content in the ink.
- How to maintain your tattoo after initial period? Try not exposing the tattoo in too much sun, chlorine water or beach water. Make sure to put some sunscreen on it.
- Can tattoo be reversed? There is a laser treatment but that requires good research and one must find a good doctor for it. There is also a way to cover it with another tattoo. But so far, no one has been successful in removing teh ink completely according to Sunny.
- Sunny advises to have proper research about the tattoo place. Check the area, hygiene and remember that a good tattoo will not come cheap!
Sunny started in 2007 and gradually it became his full-time profession in 2011. Currently, there are nearly 16 outlets and counting. He has also started the first tattoo school that has properly structured approach to teaching tattoo.