The wigs, hairpieces and styling secrets behind Indian cinema’s star looks - IOL

For a major portion of his career, Rajinikanth has been open and unfazed about his natural receding hairline, often sporting his sparse hair or bald patch with absolute nonchalance in real life, says the writer.

AN ATTRACTIVE head of hair can make or break an acting career because in the glamorous, high-stakes realm of Indian cinema, youth, vigour, and physical perfection are often currency.

Whether looking out from the silver screen of Bollywood or the powerhouse studios of Kollywood, audiences expect their favourite stars to remain perpetually youthful. Yet, biology is a relentless equaliser. Hair loss, receding hairlines, and thinning strands affect actors just like anyone else. To combat this, Indian cinema has a long, fascinating, and often unspoken history with hairpieces, custom toupees, surgical hair transplants, and heavy cosmetic styling.

​​For decades, male pattern baldness was a career hurdle for leading men, often restricting them to character roles or villainous parts. However, technological and medical advancements have completely revolutionised how stars manage hair loss. The transition has moved from crude theatrical hairpieces and glued lace fronts to sophisticated surgical procedures like Follicular Unit Extraction and advanced hair systems that look entirely natural under harsh studio lighting.

​​By the mid-1990s, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan faced noticeable hair thinning. During a time when his career experienced several ups and downs, rumours frequently swirled about his changing hairlines and reliance on custom hairpieces for both cinema and public appearances.

​However, when Bachchan transitioned to television with the revolutionary game show Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000, he debuted a remarkably refreshed, age-appropriate, and dense head of hair. Industry insiders and medical circles widely noted that Bachchan underwent a successful hair restoration procedure. This move not only restored his iconic on-screen aura but also helped normalise discussions around male grooming and hair preservation in India.

While Bachchan has historically maintained a guarded privacy regarding medical or cosmetic procedures like hair restoration, he has frequently spoken about accepting the realities of growing older under the public microscope. Addressing his transition into elder statesman roles and the immense pressure of maintaining an iconic visual standard, Bachchan once noted in his blog: ​"The face changes, the hair ages, the body slows down its march, but the spirit of giving your best to the camera remains identical to day one."

​​In South Indian cinema, superstar Rajinikanth enjoys a God-like status where his mere appearance on screen can spark celebrations. For a major portion of his career, Rajinikanth has been open and unfazed about his natural receding hairline, often sporting his sparse hair or bald patch with absolute nonchalance in real life.

​However, cinema magic requires a different standard. According to his long-time makeup and styling artists, Rajinikanth relied on his natural hair enhanced with strategic patches until around 2005. Following that period, as high-definition cameras demanded greater precision, specialised high-end wigs and hair systems were flown in from abroad and utilised to craft his youthful, high-energy cinematic avatars. Rajinikanth’s ability to switch effortlessly between his authentic, ageing appearance off-screen and his stylised persona on-screen remains a masterclass in star management.

​ Addressing his lack of pretence at public events and award functions, Rajinikanth has often laughed off the vanity associated with stardom: ​"Why wear a mask when you aren't shooting? What you see on screen is cinema; what you see here is just me. I have nothing to hide from the people who made me who I am."

​​While many stars turned to surgical transplants or hair systems, veteran music composer and singer Anu Malik took a completely different route. Dealing with progressive hair thinning, Malik famously bypassed the pressure to wear conspicuous wigs or undergo grafting. Instead, inspired by icons like actor Feroz Khan, he turned caps and hats into his signature personal style. His choice stands as a rare, refreshing example of authenticity in an industry obsessed with cosmetic perfection.

Malik candidly remarked in media interviews: ​"I am what I am. I never felt the need to fake it or put something on my head just because standard norms said an artist must look a certain way. Caps became my identity, and my music spoke louder than any hairline ever could."

​​While male actors are frequently scrutinised for receding hairlines, Indian actresses face an equally intense, albeit different, set of beauty standards regarding hair volume, length, and texture.

​The heavy styling, continuous heat treatment, chemical perms, and tight pinning required for continuous film shoots often take a severe toll on an actress's natural hair. To achieve the voluminous, cascading locks seen in songs and glamour sequences, hair extensions, clip-in volume boosters, and partial lace wigs are standard practice across Bollywood and regional film industries.

​Actresses frequently use semi-permanent keratin bonds, tape-ins, and custom-made lace front hairpieces to instantly transform their look for historical epics, glamour-heavy dance numbers, or red-carpet appearances. Unlike male actors who often use hair solutions to mask hair loss, leading women use them as a versatile styling tool - proving that the illusion of perfection is a collaborative art form between the star, the stylist, and modern hair technology.

Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who has openly shared her health and physical journeys with her fans, noted in social media styling segments: ​"People look at the finished, cascading curls on screen and think it's effortless. They don't see the hours of heat, the extensions, and the heavy products that take a massive toll on your real hair. Taking care of your natural self underneath all the glamour is the hardest part."

​What is clear is that the use of hairpieces, wigs, and transplants in Indian cinema is no longer a scandalous secret; it is recognised as a standard part of the entertainment business toolkit. From Bachchan pioneering modern restoration and Rajinikanth mastering cinematic persona styling to actresses utilising state-of-the-art extensions, these methods allow stars to transcend biology and maintain the larger-than-life magic that audiences love.

Fakir Hassen is a veteran Bollywood critic who has written four books on the subject.