Tan & Trim: Lights, camera and action, how Bollywood styled Indian men

Ever since the advent of Hindi cinema in the 1930s, Bollywood has consistently influenced fashion and grooming. Whether its regal sherwani’s, or sweaters draped over the shoulders, films have shaped the sartorial sensibilities of generations.

Viewing a film has been compared to dreaming. It is a social and psychological experience. Society has a need for fantasy, for identification with larger-than-life characters, for heroes, gods and powerful forces of good and evil who dramatise for us the great virtues and vices which are rarely present in our individual lives.

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Herein, the powerful, romantic, suave yet admirable hero played a pivotal role. He charmed the women with his chivalry and inspired men to be more like him, which often reflects in the real lives of the Indian masses. With the massive fan following that superstars Rajesh Khanna, Dilip Kumar, Vinod Khanna and Dev Anand had—it became obvious that their habits would also be picked up by their followers. From the clean-shaved look, to the slicked back hairdo’s, Bollywood has shaped our grooming rituals age by age.

It is astonishing how much influence films have on men in India. Films such as Bobby made every young man in India start wearing bell-bottoms, Shahrukh Khan draped a sweater over his shoulders in Mohabbatein, Dil Chahta Hai made men grow soul-patches and drive down to Goa every chance they got, and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara has made every young man in India itch to make a trip to Spain with their guy friends.

Salman Khan kicked off the men’s fitness trend, showing off his body in his first ever leading role as Prem in Maine Pyar Kiya. Over the years, a hairless body and manscaping became more of a necessity among Bollywood actors. With young actors flashing six pack abs and clean, shaven chest, some contemporaries had no other option but to follow suit. There are some Bollywood actors who are hairy, but as the trend demanded, they had to wax off their unwanted body hair, such as Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt.

Another one of the stigma’s that the main men of the industry kicked out was of skincare. It was high time that men understood that it takes more than just washing your face with whatever soap you have lying around and hoping for the best. It’s like anything worthwhile—it takes commitment, consistency, and care, not to mention a healthy amount of experimentation till you find the right products for your skin type. King Khan stepped into the realm of men’s face wash advertisements, paving way for even cricketer Virat Kohli to shine through, showcasing that even the macho man out there requires gentle care for his skin.

If chivalry, good looks and unprecedented style had a synonym then it would all be summed up as James Bond. There’s no way to make generalisations about the Bond style overall; but there are a number of different themes that Agent 007 has followed over the years. At its essence, his style was all about looking good in a suit, or more specifically looking good in a dinner jacket. He doesn’t come off as a fussy man or a dandy, but he is snobbish about the clothes other people wear and judges them for it, whether it’s a windsor knot or an Anderson & Sheppard suit.

Recently the biggest change in the normative ways of the modern man’s grooming and styling routine is influenced by actor Ranveer Singh, who makes style statements every time he steps out. From his gorgeous moustache to his funky dressing sense, he is as eye – catchy as it gets. A little out-of-the-box, not everyone can pull off his looks with the same ease that he can.

Furthermore, Ranveer clarifies the fact that the modern man isn’t afraid to experiment with his looks, or even with his wardrobe. The 21st century man believes in colour, and prints, and lots of them.

“The bearded look as well as the moustache has been making its comeback, and it’s bigger than ever before.”

The bearded look has been making its comeback, and it’s bigger than ever before. Making the moustache and beard more appealing is none other than Ranveer yet again who made it ever so charming with his character as Ram in Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela, as Bajirao in Bajirao Mastani, or even as the evil Sultan in Padmaavat. Hollywood star Jared Leto is also known for sporting different versions of the hipster beard over the years, as the actor-singer is one of the few men who can pull off the ‘long hair-scruffy beard’ look in style. More than a personal choice, moustaches are being used to etch out characters, taking cue from the same, leading men such as Ayushmann Khurrana, Arjun Kapoor and Saqib Saleem have also been flirting with their looks in lieu of acing their roles on the big screen.

From the January 2020 issue of FHM India.