by Lachmi Deb RoyT
HE history of the male facial hair, or
its falling in and out of favour, is like a
pendulum—swinging in a matter of gen-
erations to opposite ends. Every Greek
worthy of his marble bust sports one—
Socrates, Plato, Thucidides, Sophocles,
doughty Leonidas and Pericles. As Rome swept
into history, its mighty republicans, soldiers
and emperors took the razor to their visages
with gusto. There they stand, Caesar, Aug ustus,
Cicero, Ovid, Seneca, staring at us with unsee-
ing eyes, cheeks as smooth and glistening as
they possibly were in real life. Why, even the
tyrants Tiberius and Caligula didn’t feel the
need for a bushy outcrop behind which to hide
their hideous deeds. Is there a connect with
Roman predilections and the ruthlessly effi-
cient style of imperialism that they pioneered?
Thus goes mankind’s brief and lengthy encoun-
ters with the beard, waxing and waning in density,
regarded through history as not only masculine,
but often denoting, in grooming and a variety of
new styles, sprigs of nobility from the hoi polloi.
It is, however, plainly apparent to the observer
that young India, after a gap of many decades, is
conducting a finely manicured, openly narcissis-
tic love affair with the beard, and that is mediated
by passionate admiration for the many beards in
the Indian cricket team. The hirsute revolution
is led, unsurprisingly, by captain Virat Kohli, he
of the strong-jawed variety, his clean, V-shaped
beard, framing his chiselled face so admirably,shadowing his rasping groundstrokes in the ‘V’.
What it has sparked, and fed, in Indian men is a
passion for beards, with young sparks open to a
new ‘look’ adopting them in hordes—much like
how young Germans in the early 20th century
copied Kaiser Wilhelm’s moustache.
Barber Nizamuddin of Truefitt & Hill, Delhi,
says, “Be it young or old, nobody really likes the
clean-shaven look. These days everybody wants
to focus on facial hair styling, especially beards.”
But talk about circles, goatees or mutton chops,
it’s Kohli’s style—a modified ‘Balbo’—that reigns,
with barbers across India being badgered by
youngsters for the icon’s V-shaped chin cushion.
After the formidable ‘Garibaldi’ of first truly
great batsman, W.G. Grace, will Kohli’s beard be
regarded as the most influential in cricket?
With men’s grooming products, many aimed at
the beard, feeding the alpha male frenzy, con-
sumers are busy fussing about themselves, mas-
saging lotions and oils, before the mirror.
Varun Pande, a Mumbai-based actor and fitness
expert, says, “The beard style that I carry is called
‘Bandholz’, named after Eric Bandholz, its pro-
genitor. It’s comparatively raw and aggressive
and requires extensive beard growth.” Pande
adds, “I have always sported a beard since I could
grow one. Maybe it has got to do with my affinity
for old-school charm. But yes, I was always con-
scious of the style I could sport, keeping my age
and profession in mind.”
Thence we tackle a question lurking behind any
stylish manly pursuit: Do women find bearded
men more attractive? Many bold commentatorsNOW SHOWING
Left, Varun Pande’s
Bandholz; below,
Jagan Mathew’s
Garibaldi8 July 2019 OUTLOOK 53