A Sandeep encounters anyplace between 60 and 70 heads every day (besides on Tuesday) on the 85-year-old Kerala Hair Dressers in Pondy Bazar. However on February 4, he obtained a name requiring secrecy and a world popstar.
“I had no thought who Ed Sheeran was. We mentioned ‘hello’ to one another and commenced the therapeutic massage. I gave it to a few others,” he says.
Within the video on Ed Sheeran HQ on Instagram, the artiste who’s in India for his +–=÷× Tour (pronounced The Arithmetic Tour), might be seen jokingly saying, “That is abuse”.
“I normally don’t use the form of power seen within the video however foreigners have a tendency to love the strain. They requested for it, truly. My daughter has been studying out the feedback and clients have been asking it as nicely. Who knew he was as common,” Sandeep says.
Sandeep nevertheless, is not any stranger to celebrities. His oldest, most constant buyer is industrialist and well-known T Nagar resident Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti. “Different well-known personalities have visited through the years together with Rajini. He used to select calls on this phone,” he recounts. Actor Sivakumar continues to get his hair minimize at this store opened in 1939, he says.
On a daily day although, Sandeep might be seen saying a cheerful “Hey,” main clients to their ornate Burma teak chairs with previous leather-based cushions. They have an inclination to dole out nuggets of recommendation, tokens of appreciation and lightweight quibbles concerning the trials and tribulations of the world. I think that Sandeep has taken to understanding life by means of parables that he hears from these heads. It’s in these tales that he finds confidence to run a saloon that continues to cost solely ₹150 for a haircut.
“There was a time when Rajini [kanth] was talking about three rabbits.. no tortoise. Neglect it, I don’t bear in mind the animal. Anyway, these three had been racing to the highest of a mountain. Two failed as they had been distracted by random noise. The third made it as a result of he was deaf,” he says, dropping the primary of his a number of classes. “That’s how one must be — deaf to all of the noise however nonetheless being conscious of what’s to return. It’s how one can succeed. It’s why the saloon continues to run in the present day,” he says.
A mane to tame
When Sandeep’s grandfather V Sankunni Nair arrived in erstwhile Madras in 1929, he landed up in Pondy Bazar as a result of it was the situation of the primary deliberate industrial advanced within the metropolis. “Everybody who needed to earn cash, clearly got here right here,” he says. He broke away from the then well-known Malabar Hair Dressers in 1939 to determine his personal store to ship a refund house to Thrissur. “Again in Kerala too, the household did the identical job. Nevertheless, we solely obtained fee within the type of barter — veshti, mundu and rice. He wanted to maneuver but in addition had plans to return house. Chennai nevertheless, by no means let him go. The individuals listed here are filled with kindness. Paasa kaaranga,” he says.
Moving into the saloon appears like a visit again to the halcyon days. All the things is identical besides the color of the purchasers’ hair. One finds intricately crafted Burma teak chairs with a flower carved within the wooden. Rosewood cabinets line the partitions and glass portray panels alternate with mirrors. There isn’t any annoying set listing of English pop or the uncomfortable chill of an air-conditioned parlour. The mild odor of rose powder wafts within the air, accompanied by the sunshine hum of a hair clipper. The workers clear as they go and Sandeep says that although he has thought-about alterations over time, long-time clients have opposed it vehemently, typically blatantly refusing to stroll in if the dialog of a chair improve takes place.
Outdated clients at Kerala Hair dressers.
| Picture Credit score:
VELANKANNI RAJ B
G Sankaran, a 96-year-old resident of T Nagar says that the saloon was all the time neat and hygienic. “I bear in mind getting a haircut for ₹2. The grandfather, father and son would all the time have a pleasing phrase to say and a smile,” he says.
Sandeep says that these are the one stipulations important to efficiently run a enterprise. “Sustaining relationships is important. It’s why you will note me greeting passersby on the door. At first, they is likely to be startled. The subsequent time, it’s probably that they may stroll in for a minimize. The second is to keep up cleanliness,” he says. It’s most likely what led to him touchdown the Ed Sheeran gig, he says.
Sandeep provides that though individuals haven’t all the time responded kindly to the ‘vanakkam’ on the gate, he hasn’t stopped. “Individuals marvel how I put myself on the market so typically. I inform them that I’m nervous too. I’m fast to say ‘sorry’ once I offend however I normally obtain a form ‘good morning’ and ‘vanakkam’ in return. I take pleasure in that,” he says.
A hair minimize in progress.
| Picture Credit score:
VELANKANNI RAJ B
Contained in the saloon although, he’s much more conservative. He doesn’t sit contained in the store, doesn’t imagine in fancy remedies or colouring and doesn’t love prolonged, unruly hair. It’s why he prefers offering easy and fast cuts, shaves and oil massages. The concept of bleaching and color was launched to cope with demand. “As an alternative of protecting cucumber over the eyes, simply eat it, no,” he asks.
He and his workers clear the premises twice a day — as soon as throughout lunch hour and one other at evening — in order that the saloon is able to open at 8am sharp. Rush hour is normally within the morning and late at evening as procuring ends within the location, he says.
Instances have modified now although. The T Nagar map that he hand-drew after which digitised and held on his wall has drastically modified because of metro rail work and subsequent redevelopment through the years.
The hand-drawn T Nagar map
| Picture Credit score:
VELANKANNI RAJ B
Celebrities too, have new stylists in the present day and the cuts contain fades and mullets. Does he really feel omitted? “I ask my clients if they need a classy minimize or if they need a lovely minimize. I can do the latter. They’ll do the previous themselves. I wish to be accessible to the widespread man,” he says.
He closes with one other allegory as we finish. “My mom has informed me to stroll when I’ve the power to afford a bus; take the bus once I can afford a two-wheeler; and the automotive once I should buy a motorbike. I can afford a automotive in the present day however I nonetheless go by phrase. It’s what’s going to result in lasting success. Good classes to be taught once you need the saloon to run for a lot of extra years, don’t you assume?”
An previous cellphone
| Picture Credit score:
VELANKANNI RAJ B
Printed – February 10, 2025 03:13 pm IST
