KOCHI: Cinema is an inevitable factor which influences the public. This influence can be clearly seen in the No Shave November campaign and how beard became a fashion statement among Keralites.
Everything ranging from costumes, dialogues to songs of 2015 blockbuster Premam created a huge wave in Kerala and outside too. One such influence was the macho man beard look donned by Nivin Pauly, the lead character. It went on to become an instant hit among the youth. The beard along with his black shirt and mundu combination was largely imitated by college students for various festivals.
Premam style continued to lure many audiences for months. Charlie came at this juncture and paved way for another trendsetting bearded look. Dulquer Salmaan, who played the protagonist as Charlie was seen with a fully-grown beard in a bohemian look. Not only was the movie a commercial success but also Salmaan’s fashion triggered another trend. The movie was a December release and a No Shave campaign was advertised throughout November.
The critically acclaimed movie Guppy had young actor Tovino Thomas donning a Bandholz style beard. The posters were he sits on a motorbike went down well with the cinema lovers. It was also the actor’s first appearance in a thick-bearded look compared to his softer ones in the past films.
Continuing the legacy of the beard, various Mollywood actors sported different looks with ease this year captivating the viewers. Mammotty’s stylish beard in The Great Father was a trendsetter and his looks got highly appreciated by the movie-goers and fans. Mohanlal’s salt and pepper style for film Villian also grabbed many eyeballs. Jayaram’s free-style salt and pepper look for Achayans and Jayasurya’s ducktail beard for Fukri were also trended setters.
Kunchacko Boban’s charming style in Ramante Edenthottam and rustic bearded look in Varnyathil Ashanka were a variety get-up for the actor and clicked well with the audience. The stills from the upcoming flicks like Nivin Pauly’s Tamil movie Richie and Mammootty’s Uncle have also caught the attention for the stylish bearded looks of actors and are expected to continue the beard-trend in Malayalam cinema.