Buckle up fellow Earthlings, because I, Sunny Bhanushali, have got an electrifying story to share with you!
I had the absolute thrill of tattooing the one and only Nikitin Dheer a.k.a Tangaballi, the fiery force behind iconic Bollywood hits like Jodha Akbar, Dabangg 2, and the high-octane Chennai Express!
I know, I know — cue the interstellar excitement! Nikitin, with his larger-than-life physique and acting prowess that could outshine a supernova, decided to venture into the tattoo cosmos to get his very first tattoo.
And guess where he landed his spaceship! You guessed it right — Aliens Tattoo.
Here's the scoop, Nikitin had been wanting to get inked for long, but the stars had to align and the right tattoo artist had to appear on his radar.
During a visit to Aliens Tattoo with his wife Kratika Sengar Dheer for her tattoo appointment, we chatted about his interest in getting a tattoo. And guess what? Turns out, Tangaballi is a fan and a follower of our jaw-dropping work and had been following us for a while now. Nikitin wanted to get a vibrant Lord Shiva tattoo on his forearm. But, any old design wouldn't do the work —it had to be as original as a comet's tail. He had a stash of references that unraveled the emotions and the story behind the tattoo.
He had an articulate vision for his tattoo — a surreal masterpiece bursting with vibrant hues, featuring the Lord's portrait, a Trishul and Damru, and a divine touch of Rudraksha beads. Here's where the magic happened, he gave me full freedom to go all out and create something stunning, a masterpiece. He trusted my artistry!
I collaborated with Sameer Kureshi, our design wizard at Aliens, to create this original masterpiece. We kicked off the brainstorming session, aiming to keep it simple yet flamboyant with colors. After lot of brainstorming, we decided on a fiery red Trishul, with flames dancing at the tip, set against a calm and tranquil Lord Shiva amidst a cosmic purple night.
When it comes to the color contrast, think of it as capturing the cosmic balance — power and serenity, all swirled into one ink masterpiece.
The final design was complete and it was powerfully divine. We could feel the essence of the Lord.
We presented it to Nikitin and he was awestruck — speechless even, for a moment. He was over the moon with admiration and felt the Lord's presence strongly. This wasn't just any regular tattoo design; it was tailor-made, especially for Nikitin and encapsulated his emotions and his story. He loved it so much that he immediately made it his phone's wallpaper. Everything was in perfect alignment the day we started working on his tattoo. It wasn't just any ordinary day; it was the last Monday of the sacred month of Shravan, which won't come again for another 20 years.
The back-to-back tattoo sessions transformed into an incredible tattoo journey lasting over 16 hours. Tangaballi sat through all of it like a champ. No complaints, no flinching — just pure dedication. Finally, following the lengthy sessions, we unveiled the masterpiece. His face lit up brighter than any star and with curiosity dancing in his eyes, he caught his first glimpse of the masterpiece in the mirror. He loved it, and that's putting it mildly! He was so grateful to have the Lord etched on his skin. He was in ecstatic joy and gave us a heartfelt thank you for the amazing experience he had at Aliens. For me, it was more than just a tattoo — it was a journey into a moment of Nikitin’s life where we bonded like brothers, shared beliefs, resonated with emotions, and echoed with the belief that ink is not merely art — it's a journey of the soul.