Crowning glory

The firm is around 30 years old.Victor Pereira — his elder brother — was a make-up assistant and, in the mid-’60s, diversified into wigs under the tutelage of a certain Amin. In 1969, he went solo with a wig for Helen. Victor followed it up with the famous blond wig for Saira Banu in Purab Aur Paschim. In 1971, after finishing his matriculation, Daniel too jumped into the fray. Since then, they have crowned the heads of stars like Mala Sinha, Rekha, Asha Parekh, Smita Patil, Farah, Mamta Kulkarni, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai, Khushboo, Madhoo…the roll call is as long as Rapunzel’s hair. However, Daniel’s favourite remains the intricate wigs they made for Hema Malini in Razia Sultan and Sridevi in Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja.

But the crowning glory dimmed in 1990, when their father died. Victor opted out of the business to be with their mother in hometown Mangalore. Since then, Daniel has been managing the firm which employs five hair-weavers and makes around 20 wigs a month, with sizes ranging from 12 to 48 inches. Halfof these are for cancer patients, to whom Daniel offers a 25 per cent discount. "I don’t want to overcharge them. With film people, it is okay as the producer is paying!" explains Daniel. The cost — depending on the length — varies from Rs 4,500 to Rs 22,000. You can cover a bald patch with a matching mop for around Rs 3,000.

But with the film and television industry in the doldrums, Daniel now has to offer "hair-on-hire", with the daily rental charges varying from Rs 150 for beards to Rs 400 for wigs. And like any other business, this one too is subject to market whims. Wigs have become so popular that hair which was priced at Rs 1,000 per kilo five years ago, now sells for Rs 6,000. But men still give wigs the go-by: not a single non-filmi man with a normal pate has ever come to Daniel for a wig. "You know, they have this ego problem…," he trails off.

Daniel unravels the path his business weaves. Hair is auctioned off to the highest bidder by the Tirupati temple. They, in turn, export it and sell itto wig makers. Once Daniel gets his "stock", he soaks it in a mixture ofdetergent powder and soda for a couple of days to remove the oil and grime. Then he dries it in the sun and sorts it according to sizes. The hair is cut to the required length and "head-specifications" — the head circumference, the forehead width and the ear-to-ear distance. Then it is woven into a cotton cap with special needles. The whole process takes a week. "It may appear simple enough, but making wigs is a fine art," he says. And though Daniel is in the privileged position to say exactly how many hair the average head — in his case, wig — bears, he insists that he invariably loses count every time. "But I can tell you how much the hair weighs — from 250 gm to 600 gm!"

Daniel claims that the lifespan of his wigs is three years. And since the cap is netted, they can be worn during the monsoons as well. "Filmi people can go swimming and dancing in the rain with my wigs," he says. Also, the grip is firm enough to ensure that thewigs stay put even during a strong wind. The only maintenance required is a regular wash with shampoo and conditioner every 15 days. And other than wigs, Daniel makes moustaches, beards and eyebrows. For these, a fine non-allergic skin-toned net is used. Unlike wigs where three hairs are woven together, here each hair has to be embedded individually. A pair of eyebrows cost Rs 250, a moustache goes for Rs 150 and a beard between Rs 800 and Rs 1,200. But for those on a shoe-string budget, Daniel offers a plastic alternative — wigs made from nylon strands. They cost half as much and look "real enough". Also, such wigs can be given shades which real hair cannot take. "Just right for the MTV generation," he says. But on the flip side, nylon wigs weigh twice as much and cannot be styled as per the wearer’s whims. And all it takes is a cigarette burn to turn plastic crowning glory into an authentic blazing glory. Hair today, gone today!