Ranbir Kapoor stunned fans with his eccentric look sporting long, unkempt hair as a nomad in director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal.
His shabby mane style perfectly suited his character Raghuvendra’s enigmatic personality.
Now, celebrity hairstylist Aalim Hakim has revealed exclusive details on the work and cost behind Ranbir’s wild hairdo for the look.
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Breakdown of the Extensive Styling Behind Ranbir’s Animal Persona
Ranbir’s messy long hair look in Animal took nearly 40 days of preparation to conceptualize and execute. Here is a breakdown:
- Hair Extensions: Ranbir needed hair extensions that blended with his natural hair texture and colour to increase the mane length and volume. Custom hairpieces with premium Remy human hair were used.
- Products: Multiple styling products like serums, waxes, sprays etc. were utilized over the course of shoots.
- Trimming and Styling: Regular maintenance trimming every few days and daily styling into the desirable unkempt form.
- Labor: Stylist and assistant charges for over 40 days of work. Trials, shoot days, maintenance.
Considering all the above efforts, the total cost of Ranbir’s complete hair makeover is estimated to be upwards of INR 2-3 lacs.
Alim Hakim’s Reasonable Fees Compared to His Stature
Celebrity stylist Aalim Hakim is renowned for his artistry creating some of the most iconic looks for Bollywood A-listers. His fee understandably matches his repertoire. As he reveals:
“Everyone knows my fee starts at a minimum INR 1 lakh. I charge a very normal fee compared to my standard and the actors I style.”
Given that Aalim has crafted the hair looks of nearly every current top star including Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Rajinikanth, and more, his charges are quite reasonable.
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Some Actors Styled by Aalim
- Hrithik Roshan in War
- Ranbir Kapoor in Animal
- Shahid Kapoor in Kabir Singh
- Vicky Kaushal in Sam Bahadur
- Prabhas in Baahubali
- Rajinikanth in Jailer
Aalim also maintains that he has worked on the hair in almost 98% of Indian films – a staggering market share.
Impact of The Distinct Hair On Ranbir’s Character
So why was such an untamed long hairdo chosen for Ranbir’s character of Raghuvendra in Animal? Let’s analyze how it impacts his persona:
- The unkempt rugged look mirrors his edgy and nonconformist character who lives by his own rules.
- The length and volume gives his eccentric nomad look added dimensions and moodiness.
- The partly tied up hair style also keep the locks from looking unhygienic.
- The hair essentially becomes part of Raghuvendra’s identity conveying his natural philosophy.
The hair hence is not a random styling choice but an intrinsic part of Ranbir’s character design. The financial and effort costs validate its significance.
Audience reactions were quite polarized – some fans loved it as a throwback to his long haired rockstar vibes, while others found it too unruly and distracting from his performance.
But it still achieved the vision of evoking strong reactions fitting Raghuvendra’s divisive personality.
Will This Inspire New Styling Trends?
It remains to be seen if more actors follow the shabby long-haired look after Ranbir’s impact in Animal. While ethnically Indian, the rugged styling gives it a fresh spin.
Those who can authentically carry off this high-maintenance texture with their characters would definitely stand out. But it does involve the risk of appearing more vagabond than visionary.
Alim Hakim has however proven again why he is such a pioneer in contextually conceptualizing looks.
Ranveer Singh’s flowing long locks as Khilji, Hrithik Roshan’s peakless crop in War, and now Ranbir’s mane are testimony to his inventiveness.
If Animal succeeds, perhaps its visual influences will inspire more actors and creators to take the road less traveled and let their hair down!
