Darshan Yewalekar Wants To Bring In A New Grooming Culture

For most of his twenties, Darshan Yewalekar, one of Bollywood's most sought after hair designer, shaped the hair of superstars—seven years with Salman Khan, ten with Ranveer Singh— helping define their onscreen personas with precision and flair.

But what he’s really spent the last decade doing is quietly shaping something else: how men in India think about their own grooming.

Gone are the days of walking into a barbershop and asking for “the usual.” In a country where beauty salons were once gendered spaces and the word “barber” carried outdated connotations, Darshan wants to stir the conversation in a different direction entirely: turning it into both craft and culture.

Darshan Yewalekar

Through his entrepreneurial venture, D Barbershop, and a career that straddles film sets and street-level conversations, he’s been nudging Indian men toward change not only in terms of how they look, but also how they see themselves.

“I have an uncle who still has the same moustache and hairstyle that he sported 25 years ago,” he says with a laugh. “Men today are far more open to change.” That shift, from rigid routine to expressive experimentation, is what Darshan thrives on. His barbershop is a space to break an old cycle- the perception around the word barber and grooming for Indian men.

In an exclusive conversation with Esquire India , he shares the way male grooming has transformed, the cinematic language of hair design, and why mullets, moustaches, and meticulous detail are making a comeback.

How has the perception of men’s grooming changed over the years?

The approach to men's grooming was once very similar to a herd mentality. The focus used to be on sporting beards, moustaches, sideburns. That were normative rather than developing an individual style. Men were also less concerned about their appearance and usually didn't pay attention to how they looked beyond a routine monthly haircut.

When I was growing up, very few people went to salons and barber shops with specific references and just wanted a trim or whatever was in fashion, be it a beard, a stubble or a clean shaven look.

Today the perception around male grooming has become very personalised and subjective. Every individual wants to curate a look that facilitates self-expression. They chat with their barbers or hairstylists, sharing what kind of grooming routine they have and what their idea for the look is. Male grooming today has an additional layer of self-care and wellness.

You’ve said you want to elevate the barbering industry. What does that actually look like in practice?

In 2014, when I was working with Ranveer Singh in Dil Dhadakne Do, I shared my dream of opening a barbershop with a very senior hairstylist. She immediately asked me, "Are you sure? Because of your stature, people would expect a salon. They would not equate a barbershop with you." The thought of elevating the barbering industry was very challenging to begin with.

I think the terminology of a 'salon' is very elitist. It gives the impression that only a rich man who buys expensive art and eats caviar can afford premium barbering. But I guess my conviction was so powerful that I ended up opening a barbershop.

I believe in the idea of elevated barbering because as one of the oldest professions, it has been overlooked and neglected. I aspire to build India's best barbershops for men and women on par with international names and break the stereotypes around barbering.

Earlier old school barbershops only attracted men, and beauty parlours attracted women, but that era was completely different from today. In this era, why not bring equality and think of barbering as a craft that anyone can access? So, though initially people had questions and the journey was not easy, trust me but it was worth it!

You have worked on film sets along with some of the best directors and to bring their vision of the character alive through hair design, what goes into developing a character’s personality through hair and beard? What is your process and vision?

What attracted me to this idea was the work of Adhuna Bhabani and Avan Contractor from B-Blunt. I was in the 10th standard, when I watched Dil Chahta Hai' and was taken in by how every character's hair was styled to reflect their personality. Be it that little smudge under Aamir Khan's lip or Akshay Khanna's monastic look. I was just blown away by the magic that well-designed hair can bring to a film. That awe and wonder stayed with me.

And since nobody's doing similar detailing right now, I took the plunge.

This is difficult terrain as designing for all characters requires looking into individual timelines, background research, personality arcs and much more. For example, in Laal Kaptan, we had to study Naga sadhus and also do a crash course in anthropology and the lives of the characters.

You must also take factors like their age, mental state, how angry, aggressive or timid they are into consideration. If there is a transition across time, we then must show a distinct change in the character.

Working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali sir for five years, made me realise that your first idea is never the best idea and if you need to rework your concepts till you get what you want, that is what you should do without having a personal attachment towards an idea.

Sometimes the best ideas come from my assistants or actors and I just love to involve everybody in the room in the ideation process. AI has also made the ideation process very simple and the focus now is on doing work that is production friendly and also distinct.

Men keep asking what they should do to their hair in 2025, what’s the answer?

Well, side face mullets are in. People are really embracing mullets as if they were never gone. I mean, if you look around, there are so many versions of the mullet. I feel, men really want to experiment in 2025 and should go bold with mullets and try two-tone base colors like light and medium brown. Play with the browns to highlight your texture.

One haircut you’re sick of seeing men carry.

I wouldn't say a haircut but the side parting pompadour has been around for over a decade now. I think it's time for it to go. It's time for messy as well as flowy hair to come back.

Moustache is trendy again. What are the dos and don’ts of doing it right and is it for everyone?

I feel a moustache is more like a fingerprint and even if everyone has the same style, it will look different due to growth, pattern, thickness, and their lip shape. If you're really bold enough to carry a moustache with confidence, you should. It really enhances your personality. It's very commanding even in cinema, where a lot of cops are portrayed sporting it.

The point is that if you decide to grow a moustache, you must maintain it as hair grows very randomly. You don't cut a moustache, you carve it carefully like a piece of art.

For maintenance, you definitely need to buy small cutting scissors and try to tend to your moustache every second or third day and look sideways in the mirror to see if any stray hairs are popping out. Just make sure you keep it clean till the next visit to the barber shop. I will definitely not advise people to shape their entire moustache at home as it can go wrong.

One rule about grooming hair and beard that you’ll never stop recommending.

One rule for grooming hair that I would recommend to everybody is, "Select the correct styling product and also understand the process of proper application.' I would also urge every man to start using a blow dryer and a flat paddle brush with bristles on top.

As for the beard, please use an appropriate beard shampoo, and don't add too many external oils. Don't wash off the natural oils being secreted from your skin as they are healing your skin. Only if your skin is too dry, should you use some kind of moisturizing oil which will nourish your skin.

Lastly, biggest mistake Indian men make about their hair.

I feel the requisite product knowledge is not out there yet. People don't understand how products act and I don't blame them because there is so much variety out there. It's a confusing market and people are confused about which shampoo will suit their hair type.

I feel you really need to know your hair texture, scalp condition, and the haircut you want. And only then should you buy a shampoo, conditioner, and styling product suited to your requirements and lifestyle. Whether you're an outdoor or an indoor person, there are multiple products for you so make sure you ask your hairstylist for insights so you don't end up choosing the wrong product.