Bollywood legends and their legendary hairstyles from films
Fashion or grooming trends trickle down to us mere mortals from the superstars we idolise. Some of our favourite leading men have been serving looks and changing the course of how Indian men style their hair for years. From Dev Anand to Ranveer Singh, here are some of the most iconic haircuts from our superstars….
The OG of style, the late actor was known for his sartorial choices. Women wanted him, and men wanted to be him: He ruled hearts from the 1950s to the 1960s! His much-aped puffed hairstyle or the quiff with—short back and sides, and longer hair on top that’s swept upwards and backwards at the front—remains in the hairstyle hall of fame even today! It’s a super versatile style that can be worn messy, straightened or brushed—giving it 21st century touches.
EXTRA SHOTS: This is especially great for those with slightly rounder faces because the height at the top will give them some definition. Ask your barber/hairstylist for a tapered cut with plenty of length on top!
The ‘angry young man’ of the 1970s was known for his trademark thick, middle-parted locks and sideburns. This look was all the rage with men sporting similar long and voluminous looks.
EXTRA SHOTS: The sideburns were popular at that time also because of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley. If you have thick and long hair, you could try this retro look with or without the sideburns and a side-parting. Ask your hairstylist to cut it in such a way that the hair has some movement to give it a modern feel.
Short in the front and longer at the back, the mullet hairstyle was made popular by Sanjay Dutt in his 1991 superhit film, Saajan. This was also the go-to hairstyle for Akshay Kumar and Shahrukh Khan for their earlier films! Back then, people either hated it or loved it; there was no in-between! Guess what? The mullet is back again and blowing up our social media feeds!
EXTRA SHOTS: American singing sensations Miley Cyrus and Billie Eilish are mainly responsible for resuscitating this ’90s David Bowie-inspired look, and introducing it to Gen Z. The mullet is a tricky one to get it right for both men and women. If you have extremely thin/fine hair, you must ask your hairstylist to give you a lot of texture and texturizing products.
Be it with the choice of the characters he plays or his films, Aamir Khan has always broken away from the norms of superstardom! His transformations for his roles have always been phenomenal, and he has been a trendsetter for not only his peers, but for scores of his fans too! With his 2008-film Ghajini, Khan stunned us with his near-bald, dramatic buzz cut with a bold, short stripe on one side. Interestingly, he wasn’t the first one to do this: It was Tamil superstar Suriya who sported the look in the original film! However, Khan urged his fans to try the look during his Hindi version’s promotions, and people ended up copying the look!
EXTRA SHOTS: While the Ghajini-look may be too radical for most, the regular buzz cut’s a truly low-maintenance style and there’s no disputing its minimal appeal! From Football ace David Beckham to American singer-actor Nick Jonas, the buzz cut has many takers who wear it well. Buzz cut is a great look for those with thinning hair or for someone with super confidence to carry this military-inspired, fuss-free style!
From the almost-mullet in DDLJ to the coloured streaks and low pony in Happy New Year—King Khan has never shied away from trying out different hairstyles in his films. However, the look he donned for his 2011 film Don 2, is perhaps one of his most iconic and bold ones: The medium-length hair with a ponytail and a few loose strands, and a few cornrows—this unkempt look only added to the villainy of the character he portrayed in the film!
EXTRA SHOTS: If you’re blessed with thick hair like SRK, grow it out. Ditch the cornrows. A low man bun or a pony can be made to look as sleek or as messy as you want by the way you style it.
With his Greek-godlike looks, Hrithik Roshan is a revered style/grooming icon. While the actor has also tried different hairstyles, it’s his look from the 2019 super-hit WAR that created quite the frenzy. The pompadour haircut is simple: Short sides and long hair on top. Roshan’s style in the film was a light and airy take on the pompadour. An extreme fade on the sides and back makes the pomp the focus here. What nailed this look is it showed off his natural grey strands: The salt and pepper look only added to his sexiness!
EXTRA SHOTS: The sides can be buzzed with any razor length. Ask your barber or stylist to taper your cut so the hair fades into the skin of your neck. This forever-trending haircut needs a great pomade. A pomade gives your hair a firm hold, meaning, the top will hold its shape nicely.
If you’re looking for more hairstyle inspiration, turn to our key hair looks for men in 2021 here. Happy snipping!
Eva Pavithran
Vertical Head - Lifestyle