Shedding the chocolate boy image often takes actors years and multiple films. From R Madhavan and Shahid Kapoor to even Aamir Khan, many have spent a significant part of their careers trying to move beyond the boy-next-door label. However, with his second outing Sarzameen, following his romantic debut in Nadaaniyan, Ibrahim Ali Khan is already looking to break that mould. 

How, you ask? Writer and director Kayoze Irani had a clear vision for how his characters evolve through different timelines in the upcoming film. With technical support from celebrity hair designer Darshan Yewalekar, the transformation became sharper and truer to the character.

While Irani attributes much of Khan’s looks to his Pataudi lineage, he set out to portray “a boy shaped in a forge and raised in a cantonment” by changing the character’s appearance over time. “Iggy is handsome, charming, and gorgeous. But what I wanted from him, character-wise, was less of Ibrahim and more of the role,” says Irani.