Darshan Yewalekar on Hair Design in Bollywood: A Cinematic Language Since Dilip Era

Bollywood celebrity hair designer Darshan Yewalekar explains that hair design is the language of cinema. Even in the olden days, a new wig was made in London for Mr Dilip Kumar.

By Sulena Majumdar Arora 29 May 2025 in Entertainment

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Darshan Yewalekar on Hair Design in Bollywood

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Celebrity hair designer Darshan Yewalekar, in most of his media interactions, is seen explaining the difference between hair design and hair styling. He says that both are completely different subjects. He says, "Hair design is not a cosmetic matter. There was a time when actors were just expected to look good and their hairstyles remained more or less the same, except, perhaps, in period films. Even back then, a new wig was made in London for Mr Dilip Kumar when he was preparing to play Prince Salim in the 1960 classic 'Mughal-e-Azam'. But today, almost every film has a lot of detailing to ensure that the actor looks perfect and natural to the role. It's not just about designing or styling their hair, but about designing their character, starting from their hair."

He says that the change started around 2001, when Farhan Akhtar's 'Dil Chahta Hai' reminded people how individual hair design can differentiate characters from one another. He recalls, "A character evolves through a film and their look changes with them. I have designed hair for actors in films like 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani', 'Kesari-2', 'Sky Force' and 'Jewel Thief-The Heist Begins' and each time, the design outline changes keeping in mind historical, contemporary, social context and personal cues. For instance, Saif's look in 'Laal Kaptaan' and the work Ranveer Singh and I have done for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's films involved a lot of research. Hair design is the new language of cinema and it works as a narrative tool." He further explains, "Hair design nowadays works as a storytelling tool to subtly communicate emotional and psychological changes over time. For example, Khilji's long, unruly hair in 'Padmaavat' reflects his primitive instincts. In 'Laal Kaptaan', Saif played an ascetic Naga sadhu, which was further strengthened by his unkempt hair. His look conveyed his monastic lifestyle and his distance from regular society without any long explanation. In 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani', Ranveer's character's transition from flamboyance to maturity is reflected in his hair as well. Today, every big star has a go-to hair designer to enhance the non-verbal dimensions of their performance."

This preference for individual hair designers is in line with the increased focus on hair as a key contributor to the realisation of the cinematic vision, says Darshan. "Today, the portrayal of a character is done by the hair designer, director, costume designer, director of photography (DOP), as well as the makeup department. Modern filmmaking is looking for details in everything and does not consider hair to be an overlooked element. That is why my work is integrated into the storytelling from the very beginning." Conclusions.

Read also:

#ranveer singh movies #Ranveer Singh news #Ranveer Singh #Saif Ali Khan Jewel Thief #Jewel Thief trailer #Jewel Thief director #Jewel Thief cast #Farhan Akhtar

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