For Kesari Chapter 2, hair designer Darshan Yewalekar blends history with hairstyling flair
Akshay Kumar as C Sankaran Nair, Ananya Panday as Dilreet Gill and R Madhavan as Neville Mckinley
From Salman Khan’s iconic Tere Naam (2003) locks to Aamir Khan’s bald look in Ghajini (2008), hairstyles often define a character as much as their clothes and performance. For Kesari Chapter 2, director Karan Singh Tyagi turned to celebrity hair designer Darshan Yewalekar to create striking, period-accurate looks for Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan, Ananya Panday, Regina Cassandra and Simon Paisley.
Darshan Yewalekar
“Karan’s vision was clear; he knew exactly what he wanted which made my work easier, the script [helped]. He handheld me through all the look tests. Karan gave me the freedom [to express my creativity],” shared Yewalekar. He researched each character’s region, personality, mindset and the actors’ hair texture. “My research has evolved over a period of time. I [also] use AI to ideate and recreate the look on actors, including the silhouette and backdrop. I began with hand sketches of various looks. I work with professional editors to edit those looks and use AI tools to create the final look.”
Yewalekar conducted three look tests with Kumar. “He surrenders to your vision. I feel the flat and centre-parting style of Akshay sir stood out.” For Panday, since there was no reference he took inspiration from an old painting. “We used the picture of a Maharani from the period. Her personal hairstylist has justified it and recreated the mood that we wanted in the film.” Madhavan collaborated with Yewalekar on the beard’s length, colour and pattern. “It’s a short timeline and he understood what I am trying to do with his hair.” Designing Cassandra’s hairdo proved the most challenging. “She comes in at a crucial time as a lawyer’s wife who has a strong personality, so I had to give her a traditional yet authoritative hairstyle.”
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