Aishwarya Rai had no makeup in ‘Kajra Re’, recalls Mickey Contractor, says Aditya Chopra wanted a ‘raw’ look: ‘Aish is not the kind who asks too many questions’

In an interview, makeup maestro Mickey Contractor revealed that actor Aishwarya Rai had no makeup on in the song "Kajra Re" from Bunty Aur Babli.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | October 19, 2025 01:36 PM IST

3 min read

Aishwarya Rai had no makeup in 'Kajra Re', recalls Mickey Contractor

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s iconic song “Kajra Re” from Bunty Aur Babli (2005) became a massive hit, not just for its captivating lyrics and catchy tune, but also for the actor’s striking look. Interestingly, Aishwarya appeared without makeup in the song. This surprising behind-the-scenes detail was revealed by celebrity makeup artist Mickey Contractor during an old interview.

During a conversation with Lehren Retro, Mickey revealed that Aishwarya had earlier expressed her desire to sport a no-makeup look. “It was not a no makeup look, it was actually no makeup. That’s the whole thing behind this Kajra Re look. Aish and I had been talking about it for a long time that we wanted to do a film where she would actually wear no makeup. We were waiting for a right moment to do something like that, because not every film you can do where girls are completely bare without makeup,” he recalled.

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“Kajra Re” was offered to Aishwarya Rai at the right time by the right person, as even Bunty Aur Babli producer Aditya Chopra wanted her to sport a more raw and natural look. “This song came up. She had to look glamorous, but at the same time, Adi wanted her to look very raw. Between Shaad, Adi, Aish and myself, we decided that it should just be completely bare – there should be no foundation on her. The whole song’s lyrics were about Kajra Re, Tere Kaale Kaale Naina, and we didn’t want to give her lenses, so we just used a black kajal and mascara, that’s all she was wearing with a lip gloss,” he said.

When the host asked if Aishwarya Rai had any reservations about being without any makeup on screen, Mickey Contractor said, “Aish is not the kind who asks too many questions. She has confidence in certain people and she goes by what we usually have to say to her. She knows we are her friends. We will always wish well for her. And, she is very confident of her own beauty, of her own self, and of her talent. I think there’s no question of being apprehensive. She knows she looks beautiful.”

On the professional front, Aishwarya Rai was last seen in Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan II. The film also featured Vikram, Ravi Mohan, Karthi, Trisha Krishnan, Jayaram, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Sobhita Dhulipala, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Vikram Prabhu, Prakash Raj, Rahman, and R. Parthiban in important roles. It was a blockbuster hit. The actor hasn’t announced her next project yet.

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