I am often asked what I think is Chiranjeevi’s best hair era as well as when he hit peak mullet.

Note: I will exclude what I refer to as “character hair” – a hair style or wig worn purely to define a character or as a disguise. For example:

 

The Debutant

Back in the day when Chiranjeevi started out he was cast in supporting roles, often as a negative character. His glam hero days were yet to come, as was his stylish hero hair. Chiranjeevi’s late 70s hair was frankly unappealing – a long unstyled wavy bob with a side part. Perhaps it was part of his commitment to being a baddie. Perhaps.

1980

Punnami Nagu was the start of a hair transition from the long 70s sidesweep to a more structured hairstyle that would be versatile enough for office, romance, or revenge scenarios.

The 80s

The romantic hero who could have been a bad guy if he wasn’t so good. Chiru’s hair could go from good boy with a ruler straight side part to hair so furious it could have had its own dialogue. Magnificent. The late 80s is probably my favourite hair era.

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1991 – The Mullet appears

Rowdy Alludu and Gang Leader mark early appearances of the Mega Mullet. There is some extra length at the back and the top has some volume, although it is not consistent and the degree of loft does seem to be humidity affected in some roles.

1995 – Peak Mullet

You can see the mullet really developing through 1994, but 1995 is Peak Mega Mullet year. The hair has achieved volume, curl, the required length at the back and height at the front, almost a dionysus perm albeit sculpted into mullet form. It almost won’t fit in the same frame as Chiru.

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Late 90s-early Noughties

While Chiru maintained some volume in the ‘do, he never returned to the statement mullet of earlier years. Gradually his hair returned to a less voluminous and emphatic style with some similarity to the 80s good boy/bad boy look. He experimented with some colour, but I blame the era rather than the Megastar.

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2017

Returning to starring roles, Chiru opted for a sleek modern look with less pouf and sharper edges.

I look forward to the next stage in Chiru’s hair evolution, and I have no regrets about seeing the mullet left in the past.

 

Of course it is hard to get a sense of how magnificent the Mega Hair is from stills alone. Here is the playlist for Megabirthday 2019. See you next year!