Mehendi Queen "Veena Nagda"
Pioneer in the world of Mehendi
A journey from a coy, cloistered girl to a celebrated Mehendi artist....
Born to a middle-class conservative Jain family and the youngest of 5 sisters, she wasn’t allowed to pursue further studies after SSC despite achieving First Class, then. But this did not depress her as she was born to excel. So, she began doing embroidery on saris. However, Mehendi drew her attention so much that with a cone in hand and a simple desire to turn out good work, a modest 17-year old Mumbai teenager has parlayed what started out as a hobby into a thriving career 3 decades back. That is how it all started. Today, she is the most popular and leading Mehendi artist truly epitomizes the word ‘expertise’, ‘perfection’ and ‘inspiration’. She is none other but our very own Mehendi Queen Veena Nagda.
Veena Nagda is amongst the world’s fastest Mehendi designer in the world. She transforms her intricate design patterns into breathtaking work of arts. It is this unique facet that makes her the best creative Mehendi artist. Also, her remarkable ability to fulfill the diverse needs from her clients has made her the most sought after Mehendi artist in the country. She specializes in Bridal, Nail Polish, Shaded, Hira-Moti, Jardoshi, Arabic, Black Mehendi, Stone/ Sequence/ Swarovski Diamond Mehendi. She has traveled all over India including Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, Kolkata, Gujarat, Hydrabad, Pune, etc. especially for applying Mehendi.
Her passion, dedication, creativity and professional attitude of Veena Nagda has garnered a massive exposure in foreign countries including Bali, Bangkok, Hongkong, Malaysia, Belgium, Greece, Holland, London, Mauritius, Paris, Phuket, Singapore, Turkey, USA, etc.
Her charm, flair, sheer talent and exclusive signature Mehendi designs are adorned by brides the world over. She had the privilege to work with celebrity brides at international weddings such as the grand millennium marriage of the Diamond King Vijaybhai Shah’s son and daughter’s Mehendi rasam ceremony in Belgium (2002) along with her team of girls. In 1990, she had been to Bangkok for Suraj Diamond’s party; and in 1992, she had been to Belgium for the Mehendi party of Jambal Diamond – Mrs. Liza (Anita) Kirtilal Mehta.
Veena Nagda and the Film Industry
In the glitzy world of Bollywood, Veena Nagda has become so indispensable that director-producer Karan Johar has dubbed her the ‘Bollywood Mehendi Queen.’ Veena’s work has also featured in several Bollywood blockbusters such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kal Ho Na Ho, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, God Tussi Great Ho, U Me Aur Hum, Patiyala House, Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani; and albums including Falguni Pathak’s Maine Payal Hai Chankari and Pankaj Udhas’s Janeman/ Sau Rang Barse.
She is also popular on small screen and her work featured in daily soap Do Lafzon Ki Kahani which was aired on Sahara TV. She has also given the demonstration for the Brush Painting and interview on Etv Marathi, Etv Gujarati (Sakhi), Alpha TV Gujarati (Mansi), Dubai City Times to name a few.
Her articles were published in the newspapers such as The Times of India, Mid-Day afternoon (English/ Gujarati), Mumbai Samachar (Vama), Gujarat Samachar (Sahiyar), Mulund Times, Delhi India Today; and various magazines like Femina, Zee Magazine (English, Hindi, Marathi), Meri Saheli, Stree, Chitralekha, Bridal Femina Special 2002, London Asian Bridal and Indiawali Bride 2003 for an interview on her successful achievement in this field. She was also interviewed on BBC WORLD regarding Wedding Business Programme on September 1, 2007.
Veena Nagda Celebrity/ Corporate Mehendi Clients
From illustrious Liz Hurley to Kajol and from Karisma Kapoor to Suzanne Khan, all had intricate designs drawn by Mehendi Queen Veena Nagda for them on their wedding day. She has even earned the sobriquet “good luck” from the film fraternity.
Her client base consists of host of luminaries from the world of Bollywood, business and politics including Aarti Surendranath, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel's daughter Anjali Patel, Rinkie Khanna, Twinkle Khanna, Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Jimmy Shergil, Kavita Vinod Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shweta Bachchan, Tanuja, Dimple Kapadia, Jaya Prada, Farah Khan, Zareen Khan, Madhuri, Rekha, Sonu Nigam, Rahul Roy, Sridevi, Mahip Sanjay Kapoor, Sunita Anil Kapoor, Jitendra, Ekta Kapoor (Balaji Telefilm), Fardeen Khan, Laila Khan, Pooja Sippy, Priya Sippy, Shabana Azmi, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Reema Lagoo, Tabbu, Amrita Singh, Diya Mirza, Urmila Matondkar, Manhar Udhas, Tabassum, Suchitra Krishnamurti, Poonam Dhillon, Femina Miss India Neha Dhupia, Gayatri Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Hema Malini, Esha Deol, Ratan Rajput and many more... Her clients’ also include industrialist such as Ambani’s, Hinduja’s, Tata’s, Birla’s, Mehra’s Raymond’s group and several builders.
Her VVIP clients of Delhi for Karwachauth function include Sunita Sarin, Vandana Nair, Sunny Uppals, Payal Seth, Anju Khanna, Krutika Badhara, Ambika Jain and a few more.
Every so often, top corporate bosses, rich businessmen, diamond and textiles tycoons, prominent doctors, lawyers and socialites summon Veena Nagda to etch her intricate Mehendi designs functions such as engagement, Mehendi rasam, wedding, birthdays, exhibitions or religious functions.
Despite achieving the fame herself, she remains deeply rooted and down to earth. Her friendly and outgoing nature makes her an asset to any party. Also, the love that she portrays for her work leaves a lasting impression.
Veena Nagda is undoubtedly the most coveted of all Mehendi artists in the country today.
She has her team of talented Mehendi artists. She has provided professional Mehendi training, know-how of different styles of Mehendi art and shared her unique skills to more than 50,000 students. All of Veena’s courses take place at Masjid Bunder and Borivali in Mumbai, India under her professional guidance and supervision.
Website : http://www.veenabollywoodmehendi.com/
Fanpage : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Veena-Nagda-Bollywood-Mehendi-Queen/412915422134576
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The Mother- Daughter duo - Usha Shah and Ekta Shah
that has become a name to reckon with in the world of Mehendi and its related creative fields.
Usha Shah
Her wide spread success and a client base that spreads to cover every continent, speaksUsha Shah volumes about her achievements. Her Mehendi classes, dedicated clientele, and creative designs have made her India's most popular Mehendi Artist.
Raised in Alirajpur, MP, India; in a family of 9 children, Usha developed her passion for creative arts, like Mehendi, Painting, Embroidery. She completed her Graduation in Arts, was married, and then moved to Mumbai.
Mehendi being her creative outlet, she designed only for close friends and family. This modest lady did not realize her own potential. However, people who knew her, recognized her talent and encouraged her to participate in a Mehendi Competition, organized by the Walkeshwar Mahila Mandal (Woman's Club of Walkeshwar). She won the First Prize and with all the publicity came requests for teaching others her skills with Mehendi designing. She started Mehendi Classes and there has been no looking back from that point on.
Her first brush with worldly fame was in the year 1985, when one of her many designs featured in a cover story in the in-flight magazine of Air India, Namaskar . Namarata Dutt, wife of a prominent movie star Kumar Gaurav, impressed with the intricacy of Usha s design invited her to paint her hands with mehendi. Then as they say, the rest is history.
Usha's business flourished - not by advertising - but simply word-of-mouth publicity from extremely pleased clients. Her clientele from Demi Moore to popular Indian movie stars and like Kajol, Ashwaria Rai, eminent personalities like Neeta Ambani (Reliance Capital) and hundreds of brides would stand by her work. Her clients are not just restricted to Mumbai or the Indian sub continent. Usha has, on many occasions traveled to USA, Australia, Europe, Africa and Middle East on clients requests for Mehendi Design.
In 1994, Usha earned the "Professional Excellence" by the Rotary Club of Downtown Mumbai. With a reputation of being an authority in the field of Mehendi application, she has often been requested to judge various Mehendi competitions.
She is friendly, affable and down-to-earth. A pleasure to work with.
Ekta Shah
Ekta ShahArtistic talents seem to run in the genes of this family. Ekta with her natural talent for the arts has been helping her mother since her teenage years. Equipped with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, a Diploma in Commercial Arts, and a lawyer, she has introduced new vision to her mother's existing business. Being an accomplished artist herself, she has held many intercollegiate titles for Mehendi design and Rangoli.
Her expertise is Mehendi tattoos, with clients ranging from fashion models to Michael Jackson entourage. She has expanded her business to include decorations for weddings, religious ceremonies and parties.
She is an avid photographer and her other interests are pottery and folk dancing.
Website : http://mehendiart.com/
Fanpage : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mehendi-Art-By-Usha-Shah-and-Ekta-Kansara/199720353483580?ref=br_rs
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Top 7 Bridal Mehendi Artists in India
Be it any culture or region, mehendi is probably the most important part of any Indian wedding. It takes top priority not just for the aesthetic value, but also for the traditional thoughts and beliefs attached to it. Mehendi is considered auspicious, and is applied for good luck. It signifies the bond of holy matrimony.
Today, the mehendi ceremony has become much fancier than it used to be a few years back. Brides like to dress up, enjoy with friends and family, and don’t mind going overboard to get the best mehendi artists for the best mehendi. In fact, some even have a special photo shoot for their mehendi ceremony. To make your mehendi ceremony special and to get the best designs easy, we have for you the top mehendi artists from all corners of India.
1. Veena Nagda
There is hardly any celebrity wedding that Veena has not been a part of. Mumbai-based Veena Nagda's mehendi has beautified most Bollywood brides, including Shilpa Shetty, Karisma Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna, and the Ambanis. Her unique designs and embroidery-like styles make her stand out among the rest.
2. Usha and Ekta Shah
The mother-daughter duo is very famous among Bollywood celebrities and at other high profile weddings. They are well-known for their art both in India and abroad. They are popular for their inimitable designs which give both a traditional and a modern look. They have worked with famous celebrities like Aishawarya Rai, Kajol and Nita Ambani to name a few.
3. A. Shriniwasan
This Delhi-based mehendi artist is one of the best and most talented, and considered unparalleled in his field. His work is known to be tidy, original and very detailed. He is also famous among the celebrities and has almost 20 years of experience in this field.
4. Prakash Mehendi Artist
Another Delhi-based mehendi artist who has been specialising in traditional bridal mehendi for over 10 years now. He offers many styles for brides, ranging from typical traditional ones to the Bohra style and other regional styles. Not only are his mehendi designs famous, but he is also famous for his speed with excellent clarity and colour of the mehendi.
5. Geeta Patel
She is a Mumbai-based mehendi artist with 20 years of experience in the field. She excels in all kinds of mehendi like Arabic, Indo-Arabic, floral styles, traditional, zardozi and many more. She works with her daughter-in-law Purvi, who also has 10 years of experience in bridal mehendi.
6. Shringar Bridal Mehendi
They are Chennai based mehendi artists, famous for their creative designs. They use 100% natural mehendi powder, which gives a beautiful colour to the art. They provide all styles of mehendi designs depending upon the client's needs, and at affordable prices too.
7. Manisha Modi
Manisha Modi is also a Chennai based bridal mehendi specialist. She is very original, neat and fast in her work. Her designs are unique and unmatchable because of which she is popular among young brides.
Source : http://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/articles/top-7-bridal-mehendi-artists-in-india-2513
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