The drive for perfection has led many stars to go 'bald,' a move not to be attempted by the faint of heart.
Bollywood's evolution over the years has resulted in stiff competition among peers and insistence on getting the desired look and feel of the character just right. Actors wish to get into the skin of their characters to the point of perfection. This drive for perfection has led many stars to go 'bald,' a move not to be attempted by the faint of heart, which intensifies the depth of their respective characters. While some manage the look via prosthetic make-up and special effects, many actually shave their heads to perfect their look.
The latest celebrities to have gone bald (in varied ways) for their films include Priyanka Chopra, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.
Priyanka sports a bald look in her latest film Mary Kom, which hit the theatres today. She didn't actually shave her head, as the bald look was required for just one scene. However, the actress says she may consider going bald for real if an entire film requires her to do so. "It was just about one scene in Mary Kom, so it was not required for me to go bald. But if a film requires for me to go bald entirely, maybe I will do it," Priyanka said in a recent interview. (Also Read: Mary Kom Movie Review)
Actor Shahid Kapoor sports four different looks in his upcoming film Haider, in two of which he is bald. While many prefer Shahid's long locks, the actor's fans were very enthusiastic when his bald look was revealed. Shahid had shaved his head completely for the film, to go with a thick, unkempt beard. The other quasi-bald look involved closely-cropped hair and beard, which the actor currently sports while promoting the film.
Next in line is actor Ranveer Singh, who is all set to go bald for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's
Bajirao Mastani. This will be Ranveer's third new look in his four-year-old career. While in his initial films Ranveer has sported a handlebar moustache and beard with long hair, in his upcoming film
Kill Dil the actor discarded his moustache in favour of a clean shaven look. Ranveer, who is often dubbed Bollywood's risk-taker, had said in an interview that he would shave his hair and take a year to complete the film's shoot. "I know it is a huge commitment. First go bald and then give a year's time when you can make three films. But I do know that if this works,
ithihas bana dega," Ranveer had said in an interview.
While these celebrities, more committed to their craft than their image, are willing to take the extreme step of losing their hair, others are not.
In the last season of celebrity game show Bigg Boss, television stars were very reluctant to let go of their hair for a task. TV actor Ajaz Khan refused to complete the task which required participants to style their hair into a Mohawk. Actress Shilpa Sakhlani made a huge issue when her husband, actor Apurva Agnihotri, went ahead with the task.
While tele-stars may not be required to go bald for their roles, Bollywood celebs in the past have taken this intrepid step time and again.
Recent examples include actor Sanjay Dutt who sported a clean shaven head in the remake of Agneepath. The actor, in fact, went a step further and shaved his eyebrows which contributed to his sinister look.
Actors Aamir and Salman Khan opted for crew cuts in their films
Ghajini and
Tere Naam respectively.
Actress Antara Mali gave up her long tresses for Amol Palekar's film And Once Again. Actresses Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das too had chopped off their hair for Deepa Mehta's Water. However, due its controversial topic the film was temporarily shelved. When the project gained momentum again, its renewed cast comprising Seema Biswas and Lisa Ray - playing widows of Vrindavan - too chopped off their hair to get into the skin of their characters.
While some actors took the authentic route, others such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty went the prosthetic way.
In Paa, Big B played the role of a child affected with a rare genetic condition known as progeria, which accelerates ageing. To suit the role Mr Bachchan opted for prosthetic make up, which was done by Christien Tinsley. Big B's make-up was one of the highlights of the film.
Meanwhile, Shilpa Shetty managed with prosthetics when she had to shave her head to play a Buddhist monk in the Indo-Chinese film
The Desire.
Bollywood stars have given up their inhibitions to ace their look for their film and in some cases, like with Big B and Sanjay Dutt, the risk paid off well. While for Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das the plan backfired. Nevertheless, Bollywood's desire to outdo itself has created bolder and often brilliant content for cinema lovers.