Thank God! That Era Has Passed , When The Term Beauty Was A Woman's Job

The eras of 70’s, 80’s and 90’s were marked by the unabashedly proud and pompous display of sprouting chest hair on Indian screen.

Thank God! That Era Has Passed , When The Term Beauty Was A Woman’s Job

The audience was bombarded with the images of rugged heroes selling soaps, cigarette and other products of mass consumption via advertisements.

While on silver screens, the heroes danced with their leading ladies providing us a peek a boo of their body fur. The actresses happily twirled their chest hair, stroking and curling them with affection and burying their faces in moments of intimacy.

Body hair was considered as a sign of vitality, emblem of a macho male, a desirable mating trait and mark of masculinity. Ruggedness was the pre-requisite, sweat was a deodorant and a man would prefer be dead, if found discussing about moisturisers, toners let alone applying them.

The term beauty was a woman’s job and any man daring to step out of this ‘‘lakshman rekha” would be jeered and ridiculed with an advice to man-up.

However, things began to shake up when a leading Fairness cream, Fair & Lovely in a study, found out that most of its users were men. The change was ushered further when Salman Khan sported a bare waxed torso in the song – Oh Oh Jane Jana surrounded by a bevy of pretty young girls going crazy.

Perceptions were undergoing a paradigm shift owing to technology subjecting them to global counterparts via movies,print et al, changing their representations in Indian mass media and shaping their attitudes about appearances.

A movement was on the corner and a new breed was emerging slowly and steadily known as Metrosexuals. Dandy in appearance, they spent copious amount of their income in grooming regimen and gave ladies some tough competition, in terms of mirror time.

With an emergence of men’s beauty category, more and more brands cashed in the trend offering a platter of products to the vain.

Today the man won’t have second thoughts before booking a salon appointment or shopping for pink dress. He is vain, picky and has freedom to choose among beauty brands and innovative products, like guy liner.

The peacock is not afraid to embrace his colourful side.

He proudly displays his beauty products, can give you a tip or two about style, and is an avid reader of GQ, style pages. He is dapper, suave, style informed.

For that, he knows that being Chikna is new Chic and that trend is here to stay, for long.