Beards back in vogue

[1]

After moustaches, beard is the new fashion fad in Bollywood. From Shah Rukh Khan’s shadow beard in Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Imran Khan’s rugged one in Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola to Saif Ali Khan’s dense growth in Race 2, everybody seems to have been bitten by the beard bug.

Beards have also emerged as one of the popular college trends with youngsters flaunting their facial fuzz in style.
Designer Abhishek Singh says that it’s an ultimate accessory for men. Apart from being a symbol of machismo, it brings a character to the face, says Singh and adds, “A beard not only brings masculine charm to the face, it makes me feel complete. Men don’t need to further accessorise as beards do the job for them.”
Actor Vidushi Mehra loves the lush growth on her husband and designer Nikhil Mehra’s face and finds the salt and pepper effect very sexy. She says, “I think what makes a man interesting is his personality and a nice maintained beard makes it sizzling and rugged. Amitabh Bachchan, Shekhar Kapur, Kabir Bedi, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, all have fantastic personalities and the beard looks so much better on them. Nikhil looks cool with a beard. It complements his look. A Robert Downey Jr beard is my favourite.”
Another stylist Aaditya Walia adds that a beard does reflect your personality. “It shows that a man cares about how he looks. I personally experiment a lot with beards and like the raw ones like Imran khan has in Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola. Very manly, less efforts and women just love it!”
A chikna face is not my cup of tea, says NIFT graduate Satya Bhan. “A messed up look works well as it is a reflection of my carefree attitude. Maintaining and grooming a beard is too manly a thing. Guys don’t want to spend time doing all that. It’s more of a laidback thing for me. I can carry it well so I keep a messy beard,” says Bhan.
Stylist Santu Misra on the other hand says, “Chocolate boys have been replaced by rugged men who mean business. A groomed beard is extremely stylish. I think we are going back to an era where the actors want to be like men — sexier, older and wiser. But definitely with style. What looks rugged to the eye has been groomed and trimmed and taken care of. So it’s an art to get that kind of look.”