Styling leaders

They've been hairstylists to India's prime ministers, presidents ... Now the third generation grooms celebs and film stars. The Habib family shares its memories with Nilima Pathak.

At the age of 15, when Habib Ahmad first snipped the hair of former Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, his fingers trembled.

Today the Habib family is considered among the leading hairstylists in the country.

In business for several decades, the three generations of Habibs have been hairstylists for political heavyweights including President VV Giri, President Zakir Hussain, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, even before he became president.

It began with Nazir Ahmad who was the personal hairstylist of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India. After Partition in 1947, he was employed by the Government of India as an official hairstylist of the president and he and his family lived at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the official residence of the president in New Delhi.

Nazir's son, Habib Ahmad, took over from him and has been instrumental in revolutionising hairstyling in India. Habib's three sons – Jawed, Parvez and Amjad – are continuing the family business and are frequently on the move across India and abroad providing training to other hairstylists.

Habib fondly recollects how at his insistence, his father let him cut President Nehru's hair.

"I was still in school when one day I requested my father to let me visit Pandit Nehru alone and give him a haircut," he recalls. "Although my father was a little reluctant, I insisted and got my way. Once at the job, I was very uneasy and my hands trembled.

"But Pandit Nehru was very encouraging and gave me a free hand. It certainly boosted my morale."

Nurtured by Mountbatten

Trained in the UK, Habib owes his training to the then Viceroy, his father's employer.

"In 1967, Lord Mountbatten sponsored my education and I went to study at the Morris School of Cosmetology in London. I was so happy there and did not want to return to India. After the completion of a one-year diploma course, I started to look for a job in London. But such was my respect and feelings for Lord Mountbatten that when he suggested I return and assist my father and look after him in his old age, I could not disobey him."

Because they lived at the presidential residence, the Habibs were frequently invited to celebrations.

"We were never in awe of VIPs and we shared warm personal relations with them. Of course, as was the norm with the entire Rashtrapati Bhawan staff, there were instructions that forbade us from being too personal with them," Habib says.

The family shifted out of Rashtrapati Bhawan in 1976 after Nazir's retirement.

"I was so keen on taking over the reins from my father and continuing from Rashtrapati Bhawan, but a lot of people advised me against it, saying my creativity would be lost, as I would have nothing else to do," says Habib.

From 1970 to 1983 Habib worked with the Oberoi Group of Hotels in New Delhi. Yet he had one VVIP customer.

"I used to trim and style former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's hair," says the affable and softly-spoken Habib. "She was an extremely humble and down to earth person. Initially when I asked her how she would like to wear her hair, she left it to me saying she was confident that I knew my job and I should do it the way I thought would suit her.

"In fact, I never changed the French-style 'wedge' that she had acquired, but tried to better it every time. Since she had very wavy hair, she would sometimes wash it at night and put a cap over it to make it look less fluffy.

"Success did not come easy to me," he recalls. "Though [I was] a qualified hairstylist, I was not content with what I was doing. At one point of time, I discussed it with Indira Gandhi. She suggested I train the villagers in hair care. I realised her intent was good, but it was not practical and feasible to make the villagers aware of shampoos and haircare."

But the idea opened doors for Habib. In 1985, he borrowed Rs85,000 and opened a shop at the Lodhi Hotel, in Delhi.

"My target was to pay back the loan within two years, but I managed to repay it in six months," he says proudly.

Apart from running the beauty salon, he hired a room in the hotel for a few hours every week and ran a hairdressing academy there. The Habib Hair Academy became a great success.

People's attitudes towards hair have changed since those days, says the style guru.

"Effective haircare involves cleansing, toning and conditioning," says Habib. "Earlier, people used to get a haircut every one or two months. But now they visit a hairstylist very often for a new look [or to deal with] hair loss, dull or limp hair, greying or dandruff."

Handing over the reins

The House of Habibs is now a well-known name in the hairdressing industry, with salons in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Udaipur, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Cochin, Goa, Bangladesh, Nepal, London and New York. Its salons offer hairstyling, perming, highlighting, straightening and various forms of hair treatment.

Habib's youngest son, Amjad, has taken over the reins from his father. In the family tradition, he has been a hairstylist for one of India's leaders – in this case, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, whose term as president ended in July this year.

Dr Kalam has frequented the family's salon for 16 years, long before his rise to political power. He would saunter in and wait patiently for his turn like other clients, Amjad says.

"When he became president, the big question on everyone's lips was whether it would be appropriate for a president to keep his hair long," Amjad says. "Recognisable by his hairstyle, which has become his trademark, I was sure he would retain the look."

Dr Kalam's hair had become the rallying point of several debates and it had prompted him to remark that he was comfortable with the style and that he should be known by the quality of his work and not by his hairstyle.

"President Kalam is a wonderful human being. He has been our client since 1993, when he visited us as a scientist. At the time, either my father or my brothers cut his hair. I was not even aware of his status, as he kept his security [guards] at bay."

Five years later, Amjad took over the styling of Dr Kalam's hair.

"President Kalam was fond of keeping his hair long. At the same time he wanted a style that was convenient to handle. Gradually, I changed the look and styled it according to his liking. His jawline is slightly heavy and to cover that I framed his face with the new look. His hairstyle is a blend of three cuts. At the back it is more like a blunt cut, which is turned inward. It's razor cut at the sides with a front fringe, which has become his trademark.

"I remember when Dr Kalam visited us after the nuclear test; he needed a trim. At the time I had lost my 1-year-old daughter and was very upset. He was so understanding and supportive and consoled me by suggesting ways to cope with the grief. I can never forget his kindness. Later, when I was blessed with a son, Dr Kalam blessed him and named him Azaan."

He then relays another incident which illustrates the connection the family has with the former president.

"Once when my father had a heart ailment, I was busy looking after him and was not available [to do hairstyling]. When Dr Kalam heard about this, he immediately phoned my father and spoke to him at length."

Amjad then recounts an incident that occurred before Dr Kalam became president.

"One day he came to me saying he wanted to change his hairstyle," he recalls. "I advised him against it, saying that he might not be comfortable with the new look, as it would require maintenance. But he insisted, so I gave him a new cut. However, he returned the following day, saying that he was unable to manage it and asked me if I could do something about it."

Amjad suggested that he blow-dry Dr Kalam's hair every morning so it would remain in place.

"That day he told me that if he ever insisted on changing his style again, I should not follow [his instructions]. But he never suggested another change after that!"

Taking pride in individuality

Overall, Dr Kalam isn't too concerned about his appearance, says Amjad, who admires the former president for sticking to his hairstyle regardless of his critics. "No rule book says that a president cannot keep his hair long. It all depends upon his personality and what he feels comfortable with," he says. "Dr Kalam prefers a simple and straight look. He uses oil or serum and likes to comb it just once a day."

After Dr Kalam became India's President, the Habib family was asked to visit him.

"While we were exchanging pleasantries, my wife mentioned the Mughal Gardens," says Amjad. "President Kalam immediately got up and opened the door for us, saying we could visit it right then.

"We strolled through the gardens ... it was an amazing experience. Even as the president, his attitude was the same as when he was a scientist."

In addition to being hairstylists for India's political leaders, the Habibs are trendsetters. They see hair as an accessory to be coloured, curled and dressed up. In fact, Amjad recently coloured the hair of 113 women in less than 24 hours, a feat being considered for the Guinness Book of World Records.

Habib is delighted that all his sons followed him into the business, continuing the legacy of their grandfather. Amjad says that he and his brothers were drawn to the profession, not pushed into it.

"The decision was left to us and our father never imposed his will upon us," he says.