Celebrity makeup artiste Prabir Kumar De, the secret behind many a glamorous face, died here after he was hit by a train while talking on his mobile.

The incident occurred when De -- who groomed author Jhumpa Lahiri on her wedding day as well as many small and big models, filmstars and beauty pageant winners from the city -- was knocked down by a train in south Kolkata.

Engrossed in a conversation during a photo shoot near a railway track, the 45-year-old moved near the track to hear the caller on his mobile better and did not see or hear the train speeding towards him.

Many members of the shoot shouted at De to move when they saw the approaching train, but he was killed right before their eyes.

A pall of gloom descended in the showbiz fraternity in the city as De was considered indispensable for celebrities. Several stars rushed to the hospital to pay their last respects to the man who had made them look pretty.