Priyanka Chopra's Mary Kom biopic lands in controversy after US-based make up artist alleges being cheated by makers

Bollywood and controversies go hand in hand, and the Priyanka Chopra starrer Mary Kom biopic, being produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and directed by Omung Kumar,  is no exception to the rule.

Just when the entertainment circuit was abuzz with talks of the makers being keen on using VFX instead of prosthetics to make the actress look like the Olympic medalist, an email from a US-based make-up artist Mark Garbarino has stirred up a fresh controversy.

Garbarino, who claims to have worked on Priyanka Chopra’s look using his skills to transform the sexy siren into a plain Jane from Northeast India, is upset with the makers of the film as he has not been paid for his time and efforts.

Garbarino, who specialises in make-up and prosthetic illusions, sent us exclusive pictures of a trial session with Priyanka Chopra. Take a look.

In an exclusive online interview with DNA web team, a distressed Garbarino said, “The makers of the biopic got in touch with me through Saiwyn Quadras, screenplay writer at Blue Lotus Productions. After providing a couple of Photoshop renderings for $325 USD, the makers of the movie requested I meet the actress on April 7 at her Beverly-Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills, California, for a face cast and make-up tests. The work performed on Priyanka took place between April 7 and 14.”

The process of creating a prosthetic requires the actor’s facial reproduction in order to sculpt a new look upon, and then this is molded and cast in a very expensive silicone material, he said.

In these pictures, Priyanka has been fitted with a prosthetic eyelid to suit her look for the movie.

The US-based artist added, “I signed no contract and was in touch with them through phone and Internet. From April 7-14, I visited Priyanka three times, with different sculpted prosthetics, at the Beverly-Wilshire Hotel, and performed a series of evolving Asian ethnic prosthetic eyelid looks.

“I invoiced them for my material expenses and labour the evening of the last test, as I suspected I may have made a mistake not having had funds routed previous to work. I did invoice for the full fee ($4,500) which we had discussed and documented. Days later, I got a reply from a man named VJ, who had been my contact besides Saiwyn, stating that he had not approved of my work. Therefore, he was liable to pay only for the life cast fee and hotel parking. Even that was never paid, and all communication stopped from them. They are the legal property of Mark Garbarino, as no payment was ever made to me from an outside entity.”

Meanwhile, Saiwyn Quadras of Blue Lotus got in touch with Garbarino early on Saturday with “what may be a resolution to this pitiful dilemma” but as of yet the matter remains unresolved.

Garbarino also said that he was contacted by VJ, who "just writes empty words about me signing a letter absolving them of wrongdoing and later he will send me funds."

The Wayne, Pennsylvania born Garbarino has been working in Los Angeles for 26 years in the film and television industry.

Some of his prestigious Hollywood projects include: Mission Impossible II (applied character disguise masks for Tom Cruise & Dougrey Scott), The Nutty Professor II (all character make-up application for Eddie Murphy’s double, for Rick Baker’s Cinivation), Pearl Harbor (trauma make-ups and 40’s period beauty make-up), Pirates of the Caribbean (African pirate’s tribal scars), Pirates of Caribbean 4 (Prosthetic Makeup crewmember), Dream girls (background 1950-60-70s beauty make-up), Star Trek (special makeup effects artist), Star Trek 2 (creature designer and prosthetic makeup artist for David Leroy Anderson), Dracula: Dead and Loving it (designed “Leslie Nelson’s” bat ears for Vulich’s Optic Nerve), and The Karate Kid (Designed a swollen knee for Jaden Smith).

 His film Star Trek even won an Oscar for best make-up in 2009.

Some of the films on his CV: