Ambika Pillai
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ambika Pillai
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| other names =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Thiruvananthapuram,{{cite AV media|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9TN-gmLHUWg|work=Asianet News Ithalukal|date=24 September 2014|publisher=YouTube|title=Ambika Pillai hair stylist: Ithalukal 24th Sep 2014}} Kerala
| death_date =
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| occupation = Make-up Artist
| nationality = Indian
| spouse = {{Plainlist|
- Surendra Nath(1980-1988)
- Rakesh Rocky( 1993-1996)
}}
| children = Kavitha
| parents = {{Plainlist|
- Gopinath Pillai
- Santha Pillai
}}
| awards =
| website = {{URL|www.ambikapillai.com}}
}}
Ambika Pillai is a hair stylist and make-up artist from Kollam,{{cite news|url=http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/delhi-gets-a-fancy-new-address-for-high-fashion-makeup|title=Delhi gets a fancy new address for high fashion makeup|date=9 September 2012|work=The Sunday Guardian|access-date=4 April 2021|archive-date=11 October 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131011232250/http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/delhi-gets-a-fancy-new-address-for-high-fashion-makeup}} Kerala, India. Her work regularly appears in advertising campaigns, catwalk shows, fashion films, and editorials.{{Cite web |url=http://www.leadingsalons.com/ambika_pillai.salon.235.htm |title=Website Leading Salons in The World |access-date=11 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203054911/http://www.leadingsalons.com/ambika_pillai.salon.235.htm |archive-date=3 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}
Personal life
Ambika Pillai was born to cashew exporter Gopinath Pillai & Santha Gopinath Pillai in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Her family then moved to her native place in Kollam, where she had a luxurious childhood, living in a bungalow by the backwaters of Kollam. After her boarding in Ooty, at the age of 7, she joined Mount Carmel Convent Anglo-Indian Girls High School in Kollam.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/ambikapillai/posts/778158988901064|last=Pillai|first=Ambika|publisher=Facebook|title=Ambika Pillai on Facebook|quotation=I went to boarding [...] to Nazereth convent, Ooty . At the tender age of 5 [...] Renuka [...] started studying at mount Carmel convent Kollam [...] we joined Renu in MCC|date=5 September 2014|access-date=4 April 2021|archive-date=4 April 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://conifer.rhizome.org/joshuaissac/archives-for-wikipedia/20210404133411/https://m.facebook.com/ambikapillai/posts/778158988901064}} She was married to Surenda Nath on 1980 at the age of 17 and moved to Calcutta to have a settled married life. Things did not turn out the way she had desired, and she instead had to be satisfied with living in a tiny one bed room apartment. They have one daughter, Kavitha. Later she married Rakesh (aka Rocky) in 1993 but due to his heavy drinking & gambling she left him.{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi-times/Ambika-Pillai-through-the-looking-glass--/articleshow/1889924.cms | title=Ambika Pillai, through the looking glass... | date=23 February 2002 | first=Vinod | last=Nair | newspaper=The Times of India | publisher=Bennett, Coleman and Co | accessdate=5 July 2018 | archive-date=14 August 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814180329/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi-times/Ambika-Pillai-through-the-looking-glass--/articleshow/1889924.cms}} Her three sisters, Gopika, Renuka and Devika were trained by her and are also into hair and skin makeover. She lives in New Delhi but frequently travels to Trivandrum and Kochi.{{cite news|last1=Ravindra|first1=Rahul|title=Ambika Pillai's very own house of butterflies|url=http://english.manoramaonline.com/lifestyle/decor/the-house-of-butterflies.html|accessdate=9 March 2015|publisher=Manorama Online|date=14 December 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-date=10 March 2015 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20150310004004/http://english.manoramaonline.com/lifestyle/decor/the-house-of-butterflies.html}}
Career
She started her career as a hair stylist and moved on to make-up. When Ambika started her first salon it was called Visions by Ambika. She later decided to develop it as a brand. At present Ambika Pillai is a brand by itself.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090405121525/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/03/12/stories/2009031250510100.htm The Hindu 1][https://web.archive.org/web/20130507105519/http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/The-look-maker/2013/04/25/article1559867.ece Article Times of India] Pillai's salon has branches in South Extension, Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden, Malviya Nagar and Model Town in the Delhi National Capital Territory; Gurgaon in Haryana; Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh; and Kochi and Trivandrum in Kerala.
Awards
Television
Pillai has appeared as a judge in:
- Midukki (Mazhavil Manorama)
- Malayali Veetamma (Flowers)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|www.ambikapillai.com}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, Ambika}}
Category:Indian make-up artists
Category:Articles created or expanded during Women's History Month (India) - 2015