Here’s Mumbai’s new smooth operator Metrosexual men are opting to go through painful sessions at the salon — to wax their private parts for a clean, hairless look

Here’s Mumbai’s new smooth operator

Metrosexual men are opting to go through painful sessions at the salon — to wax their private parts for a clean, hairless look

“Given my obsession with cleanliness, and the heat and humidity in Mumbai, it seemed like a good idea to get rid of my pubic hair,” says Viju Manickan*, 32, a Malad resident who works as a sales manager with a top two wheeler company. “I tried shaving my privates at home, but I’d end up hurting myself. Besides, all those contortions in the confines of a small bathroom with a hand-held mirror took up too much time,” he says. Finally, six months back, he hesitantly asked his hairdresser about manscaping and was told about a salon in Kandivli. “I haven’t told my roommates because they might think it’s weird. But I personally love the way it looks and feels to be clean,” he says, adding that waxing off his nether regions gives him a sense of freedom. “You know, I even go commando on a number of occasions.” Manscaping, a trend that’s quickly catching up in the city, involves a Brazilian, or a bikini wax, for men. So quickly, that a number of specialised salons are springing up in the city. Andheri resident Rajdeep Bhullar, 24, a Haryanvi farmer’s son-turned-model and struggling actor, says he regularly clears off all his body hair, including in his private area. “A little fuzz on my face is fine, but everything else has to go.” He admits this would be considered ‘unmanly’ if it were known of back home. “But I don’t want to go back and help my brother and father run the farm and dairy. This, then, is a small price to pay,” he says. “Beginners like me can’t be too picky about the assignments we accept — mostly modelling jobs for underwear ads. The camera stays on your abs, crotch and back. Six-pack abs and body-hair removal — a full Brazilian wax included — are basic requirements.” These ‘specialised’ salons seem to have a full schedule. Bhushan Parmar*, 27, has just finished an hour-and-a-half-long session at an Andheri salon. This Baroda boy, studying to be a manager, moonlights as a stripper and gigolo. “I was approached by a woman in the gym, asking if I’d perform at ‘hen parties’. The money was good, so I said yes. I realised that boys who had smooth and hairless privates were not only being tipped more but also made extra at the ‘after-party services’,” he says. “Just like I want women to be all smooth if I have to head down, I’d imagine women also like their men smooth and clean,” adds Parmar, with a wink. He says he trims his nether regions with this state-of-the-art electric razor “for special delicate needs” that he picked up while on a trip abroad. He adds that soothing skin balms should be kept handy in case of nicks and cuts. “Initially, I was uncomfortable asking for such specialised products even abroad. Now, shops in Lokhandwala stock them too.” Manu Jhingron, 36, who runs the Andheri parlour, says that ‘manscaping’ is becoming a popular trend. According to him, the idea of the male body as an object of desire in Bollywood has only fanned this. “Whether it’s a Salman, Akshay or John, heroes are dropping shirts, towels and a lot else in movies. When fans see their well-moisturised, made-up skin with no traces of hair, they too want that.” The wax, he says, extends to the private area too. “Many youngsters approach us to get rid of their body hair, expecting my staff to go where no one has gone before.” The openly gay Manu, who has a bevy of skimpily-clad men on display at the salon, feels that a man’s body can be as attractive as a woman’s. “Gone are the days when sloppily-dressed men with paunches and mottled teeth expected perfectly turned out dolls on their arms. Come to think of it, straight people have a lot to thank the gay community for —we’ve brought in this equality of aesthetics.” A day after his shoot, Bhullar echoes Manu’s view: “My girlfriend likes this new look as much as I do. I know, because I made her very happy only yesterday, if you know what I mean!” According to film historian Mukund Joshi, “While men’s hair has always been seen as sign of virility in India, in other parts of the world, removing male hair had more to do with convenience: Egyptians and Romans did it to keep off fleas and lice. It is still a socio-cultural practice encouraged by communities in predominantly water-scarce regions. In fact, in the 16th century, Europeans were aghast when Michelangelo’s statue of David featured what many called an ‘ungodly’ tuft down there.” “The modern manscaped man is a product of today’s post-metrosexual world, where even a mard doesn’t mind indulging at high-end spas, and silken briefs,” says Pune-based stylist and designer Bilkis M Syed, 29. She adds that most of the porn available online has men who — apart from being well-endowed — almost compulsorily sport a plucked-chicken look. “In fact, the inherent laziness of the Indian male is perhaps why this trend has picked up only now.” Mumbai-based body builder and Mr India 2010 Suhas Khamkar, 32, says that posing to show off your muscles will not be possible with body hair. “Every inch of our bodies is scrutinised and we can’t afford to have any nicks or cuts, so getting ‘manscaped’ always stresses me out. Left to my own devices, I wouldn’t bother.” *Name changed on request