She continued, “He was shooting for Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000)…he was going to start Mohabbatein (2000) at around the same time…I went with the structure of the hair and face…and the head shape. He’s got this hair down in Mohabbatein…I remember…Gauri telling me…’It’s looking so good’. That was the first time I could see what I was capable of,” expressed Pastakia.

Story continues below.
Subscribe to see fewer ads.

When you work with celebrities, hairstyling is rarely just about making someone look good, mentioned Ayush Manocha, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Ayush Manocha Hair Academy and Hair & Skin and Bella Locks.

“You are constantly thinking about who they are in that particular moment. Are they appearing as themselves for an event or campaign, or are they preparing to become a character for a film or an OTT series? Hair has to respond to that context,” Manocha told indianexpress.com.

Manocha remarked how even “very small changes can completely shift the way a person is perceived”. “A different parting, altered volume, a change in texture, exposing or covering the forehead, or simply allowing the hair to fall differently around the face can make the same person appear younger, more mature, intense, vulnerable, authoritative or relaxed. That is why I always say that a hairstylist needs to understand the person before deciding the hair,” Manocha told indianexpress.com.

Story continues below this ad

With actors, this becomes even more important because hair artists also have to think ahead. “If an actor is playing a particular character, you cannot create a hairstyle in isolation. You need to understand the world that character belongs to—their age, profession, personality, background, lifestyle and even their emotional journey. Someone playing a corporate leader cannot necessarily carry the same hair language as someone playing a musician, a small-town character or a person going through an emotionally difficult phase. The styling has to support the storytelling without looking like it is trying too hard,” said Manocha.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Suneeta Nanda (@suneetananda)

At the same time, celebrities have an established public image. Manocha noted how audiences recognise certain elements of their appearance almost instantly.

“The challenge is knowing when to preserve that familiarity and when the character requires you to break away from it. This is where conversations with the actor, director, costume team and makeup artist become extremely valuable. Hair, makeup and wardrobe should ultimately feel like parts of the same person rather than three separate creative decisions,” said Manocha.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Suneeta Nanda (@suneetananda)

Manocha confessed how he finds Dilshad Pastakia’s association with Shah Rukh Khan particularly interesting for this reason.

“Over the years, we have seen how hair can become part of a star’s visual identity while still evolving across different characters and phases of their career. For me, successful celebrity hairstyling is almost like character coaching through appearance. You are not simply asking, ‘Which hairstyle looks best?’ You are asking, ‘Who does this person need to become, and what should the audience feel when they first see them?’ When the hair answers that question without drawing unnecessary attention to itself, the styling has done its job,” Manocha said.

Story continues below this ad