Delhi makeup artiste goes back to SC after still not getting Bolly membership

Last November, after a long fight by Delhi makeup artiste Charu Khurana, the Supreme Court struck down the clauses in the rulebook of the Cine Costume and Make Up Artists Association (Mumbai) that said that only men could work as makeup artistes in the film industry there and only when they had been staying in the state for five years. The court directed the union to allow female makeup artistes and to give membership to Charu Khurana, but it turns out, she is still facing problems.
READ: Makeup artist Charu Khurana shares struggle to work in Bollywood
“After the verdict in November, the association wasn’t enrolling me as a makeup artiste and hairdresser. For them, it was an issue of ‘how can one person have two memberships?’ They were resentful and it was a case of gender discrimination again, since they were hampering my right to work and right to equality. They were restricting me to work either as a makeup artiste or a hairdresser. These are the kind of people who don’t like to encourage women. They have been doing this for the last 55-60 years. When I went to Mumbai to get membership, I had to be in their office the whole day. Yet, nothing happened. I even went to the police, but no one cooperated. I had to go back to the Supreme Court to fight. The Court even asked the association’s counsel, “Do you want to go to Tihar?” Now, they have been told that if they don’t follow the order, it will be contempt of court,” she told us.
Charu added, “They are charging `1,00,000 for granting membership. People who are desperate to work are arranging the money by hook or by crook. The lifetime membership fee is `5,000 under the bylaws, but right now, they are taking `1,00,000 under the table. Many people, who are not in the know, are paying the amount,” alleged Charu, and said she refused to pay the money, which is why she wasn’t granted membership. “I refused to pay. I haven’t been employed and all of a sudden, you ask me to pay `1,00,000? How will I pay? My application is almost 12 years old and the enrolment fee has been `5,000 since then.” However, now, with the Supreme Court’s intervention, Charu is hoping to get membership soon. “I won’t be able to travel for a while to Mumbai, so the SC has directed the union to hand over the required documents to my reps. Either my mom or my brother (TV actor Rohit Khurana) will visit their office to complete the formalities,” she told us.
For latest Bollywood updates follow TOI Entertain on Twitter >>> @TOIEntertain
For the latest in Bollywood news, like TOI Entertaiment on Facebook >>> TOIEntertain
WATCH: Story 3: Charu Khurana - Make up Artist - Halla Bol Achiever