Normalising make-up for men: Aditya Roy Kapoor

“Men cannot be beautiful, they can just be handsome.”

“Make up is for gay men.”

Collecting statements about make-up, these are some of the common ones we come across when the idea of applying make-up on men springs up. The concept of make-up being an absolute feminine sphere is unquestioned in the patriarchal society we thrive in. Just like any other man brought up in this society, especially India, Aditya Roy Kapoor’s perception of ‘masculine beauty’ is rudimentary. Basic make-up has been his companion for 15 years, but when it comes to advanced make-up involving eyeshadow and highlighters, Kapoor is none the wiser. When the 33-year old was approached for the June cover shoot by MensXP to experiment with make-up, he was nonchalance and quite ready to put on the shoes.

On being asked about the intersection of male beauty with make-up, Aditya was perfectly receptive. “I think India is ready for it. Paying heed to uncalled judgements and opinions only hinder happiness and personal growth. We are free to wear whatever we want to- make up or dresses. This is a free country,” he said. The heterosexual Kapoor glowed in the shoot, with perfectly highlighted and contoured cheekbones and golden eyeshadow. He also believes grooming of hair and beard and perfecting a particular dressing style is synonymous with consciousness and acceptance of make-up. “Wearing bright colours or make-up doesn’t decide whether a person is masculine or feminine. It’s about making you look and feel better,” the actor says.

Elton Fernandez, the much-famed Indian make-up artist explains why India is taking so long to climb on this ladder of Masculine Make-up acceptance. “The deep-rooted patriarchy that prevails in the society doesn’t let Indian men to experiment with bold revolution. For them, it is more about image-consciousness.” Roy’s well-balanced and measured perspective on the issue is the need of the hour for Indian men, who believe a weekly coconut oil on the hair and the occasional moisturizer is everything they need to know and feel about make-up.

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