Murari Narayan Borkar
Murari Narayan Borkar bags Dadasaheb Phalke award
Each Borikar will be proud of the acheivement of the Late Murari Narayan Borkar who landed in Mumbai from Bori in 1915 to have a career in silent films as a stunt man & great makeup artist and later a enterprenuer to manufacture makeup material. His brand Borkar Products is still sold by his grandson Durgesh Borkar in Mumbai in the Film, Theatre and Television industry.
Renowned film make up artist Murari Narayan Borkar, very fondly known as Murar mama, was born in 1901 on Chaitra Ram Navami.
He was just like Lord Shri Ram- peaceful, loving, devotional, always smiling and helpful to all. When his father had to move to Mumbai from Goa, he was a young boy who had to find some means of earning.
His first role was as an actor in a film of Gulam Hussain of Shri Krishna company. Later he got roles as a stunt actor with films of the same company. Soon he had to quit as a actor, because of a accident during a stunt shoot. He started as a makeup artist and soon was very successful.
Click to see makeups done by Murari Borkar for renowned artists
During those times, most of the makeup products had to be imported from England. He worked on making innovative make-up products on his own. He was very successful in developing a gum (used for sticking beards and moustaches), which is still used in the film makeup market as "Borkar Gum". He has adorned famous artists like Sohrab Modi and Bal Gandharv, with his makeup art. 'Kesari' weekly, had rightly claimed that "there is no makeup artist like Murari Borkar in whole of India".
Borkar Brand of Products in the market
After the death of his son, Shrikant and grandson, Durgesh are still into manufacturing of "Borkar" makeup products, which are used in the film, Theater and TV industry.