Shahrukh Khan’s new hairstyle which premiered last week, has opened to a terrific response everywhere on the strength of very positive audience feedback. It has been appreciated by fans even in the overseas[1]. As one gushing fan puts it, sexy rocking Khan is ‘hair’, and Khantastic times are here again.

Bipasha Basu's boob job
Salman Khan's belly button thingy

Competing for viewers. Top: Bipasha Basu’s boob job. Bottom: Salman Khan’s belly button thingy.

Trade analysts are fairly upbeat about the prospects of this new style. “This is a style that is mainly targeted towards the multiplex audiences, and will be a hit in the metros.” said noted analyst Taran Adarsh[2], “It will not appeal much to the rural audiences, and is likely to underperform in the heartland. However it is likely to be highly favored by audiences in the overseas.”[1]. The director of the haircut, Dilshad Pastakia, thinks that it will capture the imagination of the masses. “Everyone’s gonna want their hair the SRK way now,” she opines[3].

Some people have questioned the wisdom of unveiling this hairstyle at the same time as the public release of the dangly thing in Salman Khan’s belly button, and coming so soon after the uncovering of Bipasha Basu’s boob job, and fear that the resulting fragmentation of the audiences will have a negative impact. However, this should really not be cause for much concern. Salman’s belly button thing has not really been provided the promotional push required to make it a major hit. And Bipasha’s bosoms are really aimed towards a different target demographic.

Jackie Chan's Hairstyle

Jackie Chan

Lots of critics have unhappily pointed out the fact that this hairstyle is a tuft-by-tuft remake of Jackie Chan’s popular 2003 hairstyle. This however, misses the point. Shahrukh has beautifully adapted the hairstyle for Indian audiences. And in any case, even if it is an exact copy, this is still a valuable contribution - since it makes the hairstyle accessible to a billion viewers who might not have seen the original Chan hairstyle.

At 6.4 inches, it is longer than the average Bollywood hairstyle. “The front half of the hair is very exciting and entertaining, but the back half just sort of drags,” says one disgruntled fan. However, most others have felt that while actually watching it, it does not seem long at all. Here’s hoping it will have a ‘long’ reign at the box office.

Footnotes:
[1]: I would have thought that “even in the overseas” or “even in overseas” is incorrect grammar, and I should be saying “even overseas”, but what do I know. I shall bow to the wisdom of others who have been doing this longer than I, and stick with the accepted terminology.
[2]: As noted below, BasKya is a satirical website. If you really believe that Taran Adarsh said those things, please surrender your internet connection and admit yourself to a home for the retarded.
[3]: This one is not made up. The hair stylist, Dilshad, actually said that.

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