Cate Blanchett touched by Indian make-up artist’s story

The story of Charu Khurana, an Indian make-up artist who won a six-year-long legal battle against gender discrimination in the Indian film industry, touched Oscar winner Cate Blanchett.

Khurana, who was registered as the first woman member of Bollywood’s all-men make-up artist group earlier this year, got talking to Blanchett backstage at the Women in the World summit.

Blanchett told journalist and author Tina Brown at the event in New Delhi: “Charu, an extraordinary make-up artist, while she was applying lipstick to me, told me how she challenged the Supreme Court ruling that women cannot be make-up artists in Bollywood.

“She won the right to be a make-up artist and already 400 women have become make-up artists in her way.”

Khurana challenged the clause for being discriminatory to women who wanted to join the Cine Costume Make-up Artists and Hair Dressers Association (CCMAA).

Blanchett made the story known to a hall full of people, who came to watch the Blue Jasmine actress share her journey at the summit, which was streamed live to the world.