India Top Court Lifts Ban on Female Makeup Artists

The Supreme Court has ordered the lifting of a nearly 6-decade de facto ban on women working as makeup artists in India's movie industry.

India's film industry is among the most prolific in the world producing nearly 1,500 films annually, most of them in Bollywood, as the Mumbai Hindi film industry is called.

The Cine Costume Makeup Artists and Hair Dressers Association had an unofficial ban on women as makeup artists, though they could be hairdressers to the stars.

The top court heard the challenge from female makeup artists last week, and on Monday it ordered the association to end its ban.

The association said it was trying to ensure that male makeup artists were not deprived of work in the film industry.