Exclusive: Celebrity Hairstylist Darshan Yewalekar Breaks Down Jaideep Ahlawat’s Hair Look From Jewel Thief
In an exclusive interview with Hauterrfly, Darshan Yewalekar, revealed details on Jaideep Ahlawat’s hairstyle in Netflix’s Jewel Thief.
In an exclusive interview with Hauterrfly, Darshan Yewalekar, a popular celebrity hairstylist, revealed the magic that went behind creating Jaideep Ahlawat’s suave hairstyle in Netflix’s Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins. For the unversed, Jaideep Ahlawat had gone viral for one of the dance sequences in the movie where he showed off his dance moves, but what also caught the eye of the audience was his hair. Read on to find out how Darshan Yewalekar achieved the look.
Q) What was the inspiration behind Jaideep Ahlawat’s hairstyle in Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins?
Darshan Yewalekar – For Jaideep Sir in Jewel Thief, the director’s brief focused on reinventing his look. He is known for playing grounded, earthy characters, so we wanted to take him in a completely different direction, with a look that felt more polished, suave and mysterious. Right from the start, I saw this as an opportunity to try something entirely new. We had open conversations, and his trust gave me the confidence to experiment with different cuts and shades before finalising the look. I felt that gelled, slicked-back hair struck the right balance. It had a timeless charm while also bringing in a modern edge. The moment we saw it, we knew it was the right choice. It looked sharp and bold, and gave him an arresting, compelling screen presence.
Q) How did you decide on the haircut or styling to match his character?
Darshan Yewalekar – As I said, all we wanted was to move away from Jaideep Sir’s usual characters and surprise the audience with an image-shattering style. We weren’t aiming for just a good cut; the goal was for the hair design to reflect the character’s personality. I went with a slicked-back look because it made the character appear sharp, with an underlying intensity. It suggests someone who is always in control and exudes a sense of mystery. The look also had to work with everything else, such as the wardrobe, the accessories, and even his body language, so that the overall persona felt completely believable.
Q) Did Jaideep have any personal input or preferences for the look?
Darshan Yewalekar – Jaideep Sir was completely on board with the transformative process. When we discussed experimenting with his look, he was genuinely excited. He trusted the process and was open to trying different styles and colours to find what suited the character best during the trials. It was a collaborative effort, and his input played a key role in shaping the final look. He understands how appearance contributes to storytelling and was keen to ensure that every detail reflected the character’s identity.
Q) Was the look easy to maintain during the shoot, or did it require touch-ups often?
Darshan Yewalekar – The look required more maintenance than expected, to be honest. It required regular touch-ups, especially since we were using a gelled-back style. We needed to keep it sharp and fresh throughout the day, even during long shoots. Jaideep Sir was always patient and understood the importance of maintaining continuity on set. Between takes, I made sure everything was in place because the slicked-back look could easily get altered with the slightest movement or in humid conditions. Jaideep Sir was great at putting up with everything we had to do to keep it intact before every shot.
Q) How different is this hairstyle from his past on-screen looks?
Darshan Yewalekar – The look is much more polished and refined compared to his usual characters. This transformation truly elevated his character, giving him a stylish, very aristocratic appearance while still maintaining an underlying intensity. It wasn’t just a hair design change; it was a complete shift in his on-screen persona. The main difference, as I mentioned, is that this was a character, audiences did not expect him to play, and his hair put that point across in a very powerful way.
Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins is currently available to stream on Netflix.
First Published: May 16, 2025 3:10 PM
