HARIZ BAHARUDIN
At 21, Sakil Kunwar is Kathmandu's most eligible bachelor. Every girl in town wants this talented hair and makeup artist.
Not to get married to, but to paint them pretty on their wedding day. Photo features of models look incomplete without crediting him. There isn’t any ‘IT girl' who hasn’t called him for a word of advice or two.
The Singapore-educated Sakil, however, remains unfazed by all the attention. In all modesty, he doesn’t even believe he’s all that great. But top models, actors, happy brides and bridesmaids all think so.
“I am grateful that people appreciate my work but I am not sure if I am that good as of yet,” says Sakil who is currently busy mentoring the 20 contestants of the Miss Nepal pageant which is all set to take place on 2 May.
This doesn't sound like the Sakil people told me about. I’d heard Sakil was loud, opinionated, and extremely critical of everything in front of his eyes. I was even warned by friends to clean up a little before my interview with this makeup guru. A few minutes into the interview I did notice him studying my face. Thankfully he decided to keep his comments to himself and I was saved from the embarrassment of hearing him go on about my amateur attempt at caking my face.
Is diplomacy something being in this trade has taught him? “Yes, and no,” he answers. “I had rubbed many people the wrong way, very early on in my career so I have learnt to be careful with my words,” he admits.
Sakil always dreamt of becoming a beauty pageant trainer. That dream materialised in 2009 when Miss Nepal Zenisha Moktan asked him to be her mentor for her Miss World Cup bid. He was 17 and self-taught.
But this was not his first job. In Singapore, where he was born and stayed until the completion of middle school, he earned pocket money putting henna on women in his neighbourhood and waiting tables at Pizza Hut.
“Growing up in Singapore taught me to be forward looking and independent at a young age. I haven’t asked for money from you since I turned 17, hai daddy,” he says looking to his father, an ex-Gurkha officer, who is seated nearby.
Since the start, his family was supportive of everything he did. His father even accompanied him to India for a makeup course. After graduating high school in 2011 from Rato Bangala School, while his friends went to universities abroad, his parents didn’t question his decision to work fulltime in Nepal.
“They know that I am a focused person and don’t do things just on a whim,” he says. “Also, one is never too old to study so I thought college could wait,” he adds.
Although, the pageantry world is his first love, today Sakil is known more as a MUA guy.
“He is a thorough professional,” says one happy client who recently booked him for a cousin’s wedding.
Besides making brides happy on their wedding day, Sakil also freelances as a stylist. He recently styled Odhani boutique’s collection for the TGIF fashion week and has a weekly column in M&S.
“Sakil has grown into an amazing artist, he knows how to work on different faces, keeps himself in tune with the global makeup trends and is extremely hardworking,” says Malvika Subba, former Miss Nepal.
Sakil also worked with Miss Nepal 2011 Shristi Shrestha, who became the first to make it to the top 30 at the Miss World pageant. "I believe I may have played a hand in that," he says.