The bloodcurdling scream of a damsel in distress is a surefire precursor to a bloodbath. In movies, at least! Enter the scene the hero, whose assaulting kicks and punches, stylized to garner maximum impacts, draws spurts of blood and a volume of applause to match the RED thing.[break]
As the frame gets bloodier, it’s pretty evident there’s no color like red to scream “Action!”
“This particular shade pops out on the screen and its visceral impact on audience is not to be taken lightly. Red equals blood equals masala for movies,” shared veteran makeup artiste Santu Tamang.
In a career spanning thirty years, he has transformed many artists into stars. But action sequences are still something he finds challenging.
“We make our own blood, and it’s very, very sweet,” laughs Tamang, who reluctantly revealed the ingredients to be sugar syrup laced with a mixture of edible red color, such as the one used in Jalebi or Jeri, and coffee color. “It’s a very precise culinary technique,” adds he.
With commercial and action-packed films ruling the roost, the demand for photogenic blood doesn’t seem to reduce anytime soon. It’s no surprise Tamang is a busy man.
“I’ve drenched actors in up to 30 liters of blood in a film. It all depends on the story or the action director. Talking of which, Rajendra Khadgi has an insatiable appetite for the red thing,” revealed he.
Known for his daring stunts and over-the-top action sequences, ace action director Khadgi has been helping heroes kick villainous rear ends for the past 28 years.
“Before it was banned, the Hemoglobin medicine given to women after childbirth was the preferred choice (which one could purchase at medical shops). But these days, we make do with food colors and the advent in graphics and editing has made it easier for any minor tweaks,” he shared.
What about using real blood or tomato ketchup, as many people presume to be the case?
“Who would want the real thing splattered on themselves, and the latter? Are you kidding? Ketchup is spicy (laughs). It’ll sting, for sure!” So the big, bad fight master is afraid of something, at least. Irritation of the skin isn’t negotiable!
In an industry that’s highly influenced by their western counterparts, the local screen is flooded with action films, and Khadgi finds the realism of blood varying from stylized to fake – which all boils down to the budget.
It is something independent filmmaker and photographer Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka could relate to. His experimental short film “Duplicity” saw a generous splash of ruby, thanks to do-it-yourself approach.
“We tried everything. From ketchup, water colors to sindoor. But at the end, it was cooking red color with sugar that yielded just the right consistency and a shade that was closer to the actual thing,” revealed the young photographer whose budget for the six-minute film was stretched to no more than Rs 600.
A rule of thumb, courtesy makeup expert Tamang: “The quality of ingredients depends on the quantity needed and how close up you’re going to shoot.”
To those interested in learning the tricks of the trade, Santu Tamang is more than happy to impart his knowledge – for a fee, of course. He runs a school of makeup and cosmetics in Bag Bazaar.
From cough syrup, corn syrup, red food colors, red water, fruit juice, ketchup – the magic formula to the “real” blood, it seems, lies in the creativity, which again is governed by money – the film’s budget.
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