'How are you even contributing?': Aalim Hakim slams stylists who demand 3X pay post-hit films of their client

Aalim Hakim advised his fellow stylists to be more professional and production-friendly, pointing out that unjustified fee hikes could otherwise be used to finance a new film.

Hairstylist Aalim Hakim is a renowned name in showbiz. Over the years, he has given actors and sports stars stylish makeovers. From superstars like Rajinikanth, Ranbir Kapoor, and Salman Khan to cricketing icons such as Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni, and Shreyas Iyer, he has tailored looks according to their unique personalities and latest trends.

His recent makeovers of actor Ranbir Kapoor in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal and Vicky Kaushal in Laxman Utekar’s Chaava this year won him accolades from fans. The stylist is making headlines after calling out fellow hairstylists for banking on actors’ success to demand higher fees from production houses. “A hairstylist sometimes feels an actor won’t work well without them. They arm-twist the production house to increase their fees by three times. That’s dishonesty, that’s unethical,” said Hakim.

On the other hand, he claimed that despite generating several trending looks, he remains professional and hasn’t spiked his fees to Rs 1 lakh.
In an interview with Hindi Rush, Hakim said, “This soils the reputation of the actor and other technicians. I always advise them to be professional and maintain their fees.” Hakim argued that a hairstylist’s fees should remain constant despite the market value of the actor they’re working with.”

“What does a technician have to do with a film becoming a superhit? They’ve just cut the actor’s hair. The actor has given a good performance, and the director has made a good film, which is why the film becomes a hit. Their actor scoring a Rs 500 crore film shouldn’t increase the hairstylist’s fees just because the actor has become comfortable with them,” added Hakim.

Aalim Hakim advised his fellow stylists to be more production-friendly, pointing out that unjustified fee hikes could otherwise be used to finance a new film. Hakim said “If I charge Rs 1 lakh for a haircut, that’s my fees. It’s not like I charge someone Rs 1 lakh and someone else Rs 2 lakh or Rs 5 lakh,” argued Hakim, adding, “A production house is prepared, they know how much they’d spend if they call me. It doesn’t depend on whether my last film was a hit or not.”

Hakim said that his haircut fee of Rs 1 lakh doesn’t vary based on a client’s status. “Celebrity or not, everyone’s a client to me,” he said. Though he’s done free work for friends, he charges full fees for professional projects. “Sure, I could double my fee and still get paid, but I believe in long-term value. Rs 1 lakh is affordable enough if people keep coming back.”