Ok, that's the first time I've seen clean-shaven Naveen, and now finally I begin to understand...

hmm im not feelin the clean shaven naveen ... i think i'm too used to his hairy version =)

That was also 6 years ago. He's gained some weight and aged. Here's another photo from the same period, probably the same day.

i am all about the lost naveen. clean shaven he isn't really doing it for me.

i love the hair and beard....he looks so rough and tumble yum

Sonia, hopefully you have a bias in favor of facial hair ;)

hmmmm... 3 different blue jackets.
He likes blue jackets!

men need facial hair......and he needs facial hair. facial hair is sexier.

Perhaps a South-North divide, here?

men need facial hair......and he needs facial hair. facial hair is sexier.

the only hot guys with facial hair are also wearing turbans. if they aren't wearing a turban, then to me a beard says priesthood. kindly excuse me for NOT finding that sexy. *shudder*

so, if you aren't repping sikh hotness, getting ready for your northie wedding day OR vying to become the next bishop, shave that mess. i'm especially anti-goatee, soul patch or any other idiocy that far too often occurs on cute brown faces.

i'm especially anti-goatee, soul patch or any other idiocy that far too often occurs on cute brown faces.

Since we're taking requests, what is it with de ladies and de highlights? They baffle me like handbags. There's nothing lovelier than a high contrast, jet-black mane. (I'm not talking about you, SM reader. You look wonderful with highlights ;) )

Here I must quote a very un-politically correct blogger:

With colored contacts, enough make-up to build a sand castle on her face, and blonde streaks in her hair that makes her look like a retarded walking zebra, the drama queen is the only reason I could ever see myself turning gay. [Link]

I'm all for guys having facial hair.
And I don't see anything wrong w/ desi girls having highlights as long as they're in a flattering shade for their own skintone.
light or dark ash brown-yes
anything red/golden- emphatic NO (I see this so much on desi soaps/movies...such a shame when a pretty desi girl has a flaming red mane due to a bad dye job)

Oh, and I read that guy's blog...some of it's marginally funny but not terribly original...sounds like a closet misogynist (he suggested beating the drama queens to shut them up- kind of disturbing).

... sounds like a closet misogynist...

I don't think he's very closeted.

"The next time you see a girl begin to cry and have a temper-tantrum: take her to the side, wipe her tears, and, when nobody is looking, roundhouse kick her in the face. Now I know this method is a bit abrasive and I’m usually not one for violence, but trust me… It works. Say bye-bye to those ruined nights! You’ll thank me in the end..."

I'm with Anna, very few guys can pull off the facial hair (Sikh men excepted, of course). I say when in doubt keep it clean!

Ennis - in college I was accused of having a good-smelling dhari fetish ... go figure.

Mother dearest drummed into my head from a young age that facial hair is NOT ON. My girlfriend thinks the same. And I think I look best...okay least worst when I'm clean shaven.

BUT! How I wish I could grow a pukka Rajasthani moustache. Seriously. I blend into the wallpaper at all this superficial media parties, but if I turned up looking like this, I'd be the centre of attention, the life and soul of tha partay and I could probably bed Riya Sen. And imagine how many situations exist in the day where I could draw attention to my topiary?

How much is this bullock?
Twenty pounds.
Twenty pounds!?
OK how about ten?

Hmm...*strokes moustache outwards from philtrum, then twists one end around between fingers* I'll take it!

there is a certain charm to those turbans, y'know. add them up with a beard and mustache, and wow.....(faint), but the what realy completes the look is what's inside of that sardar - the gentleness and soul that makes them who they are. that's even more fecthing thatn the facial hair.

Sonia,

Ennis - in college I was accused of having a good-smelling dhari fetish ... go figure.

You went up to people and started sniffing their beards ?

I bet there's a dodgy on-line chatroom somewhere for people like that ;)

(Just kidding)

You went up to people and started sniffing their beards ?

sikhs do that weird "smelling" thing, too?? wow, all those elderly mallu relatives weren't strange.

"There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless—boys and women”

Hot guys look even hotter with a beard and not-hot guys need a beard to hide their faces. Just my list of some of the celebs. who look better with a beard and/or should never be seen in public without one:

All the “Lost” guys with stubble/beard – “Cleanshaven Naveen” – not my kind of doll, Sean Connery, Jonathan Frakes, “Bo Brady” from Days of Lives, Amitabh Bachchan, Viggo Mortensen, Kiefer Sutherland, Russell Crowe, George Clooney, Jude Law, Johnny Depp without facial hair is just another pretty girl, Robin Williams, Al Borland, Omar Sharif, Richard Branson, Ice-Cube/Ice-T, Martin Scorsese, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, and That hot bearded Guy from “desperate housewives.”

Jai - I've heard it all ... trust me =) That's what I get for mentioning (in a large group) that a dhari shampooed with Herbal Essences smells great.

Anju,

i violently disagree, except in the sole case of viggo, who should always roam about looking like aragorn.

Well..let's see, I personally like the five o'clock shadow as well. It gives even the most chocolate box face man a sense of ruggedness. Hurray for a little scruff!

wait, did she say al borland

viggo, who should always roam about looking like aragorn

yes! yes!

What, no love for hot ladies with beards?

i should've been clearer-- i thought it was obvious that i was fine with 5 o'clock shadow; considering how desi boys are sporting stubble shortly after lunch, i'd be a witch to dislike it. i think shaving once a day is more than enough.

it's the manscaped crap i can't stand: the weird sideburns, the so(lame) patch, the goatee et al. i associate meeshas/moustaches with mamooty and my dad's generation. my uncle and aunt loooove teasing me whenever i have dinner with them--"so, vould you ever marry a man with a meesha?"-- b/c the shudder i involuntarily experience never fails to amuse them.

"wait, did she say al borland"

Yeah, I said Al Borland...I think he definitely looks better with a beard... and yeah i have bit of a thing for guys who are like big cuddly teddybears!

I'm of the opinion that it depends on the individual. The typical brown-guy-joiner who just grows a goatee or lightning-bolt sideburns because 3 of his pals did it, well he needs to be made fun of, frequently.

But I think it all depends. For example, Aamir Khan looks adorable whether clean-shaven, with soul patch (ala Dil Chahta Hai), with lazy overgrowth, or even rocking the big mooch. (however his early 90's blowdried pouf and tendency to wear his pants too high are a separate topic) Hrithik? All 5:00 shadow, All the time, please! Viggo should be Aragorn forever, but certain baby-faced men should be required to shave every day, as the scruff isn't cute.

I have to defent the goatee though. Some guys really rock it well.

defenD. but you knew that.

Thanks for the last link DD! Very cool photo of Aamir. Check out what else I found at the same site
Woo hoo! (Is he wearing a thong????!!!!)

With colored contacts, enough make-up to build a sand castle on her face, and blonde streaks in her hair that makes her look like a retarded walking zebra, the drama queen is the only reason I could ever see myself turning gay.

The shave or not to shave debate:

I love facial hair as long as you don't look like a dirty bastard, i.e. you are CLEAN and wash frequently, i.e. you don't look like Kevin F. In a weird way, I prefer to see a man who looks like he can squeeze a beard out by will and deep concentration alone; but yet, he keeps it clean cuz he doesn't have to prove nuthin! Hawt. After all, a little stubble didn't kill no one.... it is ticklish, though!

Alright, I want to stage an intervention for my sis, who doesn't wear the make-up or the highlights but has somehow tied her identity to having to wear blue contacts ALL THE BLOODY TIME!!!! I think she thinks she won't be pretty if she doesn't wear them. Seriously, or why the 24/7?!! I can understand for fun or night, once in a while, but the mottled cataract look must go. I have to do it very graciously.... wish me luck!

She wears blue contacts straight up? The only reason I can see for a brown person to wear them is ironically, like an African American going blonde. The juxtoposition can be striking at times. It's a deconstruction of race in a subversive fashion. But if you wear them b/c you think that blue eyes are "prettier" ... then I really have to wonder. [I hope she's a teenager]

I did have an East Asian friend who wore green contacts. She had two reasons (1) they were easier to find if she dropped them in the sink and (2) she wanted to see how long it would take people to notice her improbable eye color.

I've noticed that none of the ladies here have mentioned the recently-bearded incarnation of Abhishek Bachchan, eg. Yuva, Sarkar, Bluffmaster.....

In an entirely platonic and non-gay way (that disclaimer sounds suspiciously like I'm protesting too much, doesn't it ?), I think Junior B looks pretty cool with his mid-90s-Ice Cube-type trimmed beard. Better than he looks clean-shaven.

*Takes grease from his fatty dinner and smoothes it over moustache, tapering each tip to a point*

Ang, Godspeed and good luck on your quest. The blue contacts phase took Britain's desi by storm a few years ago. They were everywhere. Argh, I have an almost visceral reaction to them. As you say, once in a while is OK but not all the time. My girlfriend tried some grey ones once and I've seen lots of green. The only ones I want are a la Geordie la Forge (you can't really see, but they twist around and have infrared mode...and..shit)

I wrote an article about shaving. Most men don't know the best shaving techniques. It's all about the oil.

tied her identity to having to wear blue contacts ALL THE BLOODY TIME!!!! I think she thinks she won't be pretty if she doesn't wear them. Seriously, or why the 24/7?!!

BongBreaker & Jai: metro- or uber-?

as for the colored contacts, I tried a pair of violet for a while. Just for fun, here and there. Because who the hell has naturally violet eyes anyway? But it got old and they went in the toilet. Hopefully Ang's sister passes out of that phase...

DesiDancer,

Definitely not "Metro".

"Uber-", however.....Well, in the interests of modesty, perhaps not for me to say.....*wink*

damn those colored contacts .. I used to get "pretty eyes" ... now I just get "are those contacts?"

omg, a mouthful of facial hair while kissing is just GROSS. Boys, keep it clean. Unless you have no chin (like Eric Clapton), in which case you do need a beard.

Through college all my lesbian friends went on about how being expected to shave was so sexist...I wanted to go along with them, but I couldn't. I don't even like hairy men, why would I want hairy bits myself? After college, I was taking a sexuality course and one of the straight male teachers was like, of COURSE shaving is totally hot for women AND men -- smooth skin is more sensitive to touch, your nerves are exposed and not deadened by all that hair. Right. DUH!

DD's facial analysis on other SM favorites:

Unshaven= Uncle
5:00 shadow PLEASE
Babyfaces must remain clean-shaven (unlike Aamir, mooch NOT hot in "Paheli")

Scruffy and Rugged, ie: the further they stand from the razor, the better...

She wears blue contacts straight up? The only reason I can see for a brown person to wear them is ironically, like an African American going blonde. The juxtoposition can be striking at times. It's a deconstruction of race in a subversive fashion. But if you wear them b/c you think that blue eyes are "prettier" ... then I really have to wonder. [I hope she's a teenager]

Ennis, unfortunately, not a teenager. And I completely agree that juxtaposed bleach blonde hair on asians and african americans is extremely cool. And I have to sheepishly admit I got blue contacts for a photo shoot once! But it was a black and white photo, and was done for contrast.... and it wasn't my idea.

But colour contacts for daily wear are a different matter - esp if they're blue. Brown, I can see, or natural-colour enhancing, but blue on dark brown eyes is just a bad idea. It's a misguided attempt to appear exotic (I know it's not a white-ifying attempt). My sister is soooo beautiful and def knows it, so there is no need for her to change her eye colour!!! However, I feel that sometimes when you've been making a bad fashion move for a long time, you get stuck in a rut: she's pretty, get's complimented alot I'm sure, so somehow her brain has convinced her to continue doing whatever she's been doing all along - thus the blue contacts become tied to self-identity. I completely understand and I feel the same way about my long hair (which isn't going to get cut EVER) but at least it's my own damn hair!!!! It is a bit strange how alot of brown girls wear them - maybe it's a bollywood obsession?? But my sis is not into bollywood, so I'm really baffled, and that's why I came up with the theory that she believes they are tied to her beauty.

oy! 24/7... bad idea... i take it these are hard-ish lenses... long shot ... but if she's into open water swimming, if amoeba gets in, the inside of the lens is perfect breeding ground ... she could lose the eye

Okay, I was exxagerating. But what I meant is that she wears them to school, out to coffee, and everyday, not just out at night for fun. By your mid 20's this is a phase that should have passed a long time ago.

Anyways, enough of my babbling, back to bearded babes!

I wrote an article about shaving. Most men don't know the best shaving techniques. It's all about the oil.

re: uber or metro...get with the times, people! It's heteropolitan now. ;) (sorry, learned that word from a very camp straight brown male friend this weekend, had to bring it up)

DD, never heard of an uber before. I couldn't possibly say whether I'm UBERsexual (#Deutschland Deutschland, uber alles#) as it seems to be something others decide. Aren't they just describing a friendly alpha male? But what IS Guy Richie doing on that list of over-achievers?

I want a label. Heteropolitan (they do Internet sex), uber, metro...I think I'd make a good slobbosexual. Or I could be a sempervolosexual, but in reality I'd be an oligosexual.

Bet you all wish you'd done Latin now! (If anyone has, please don't highlight my incorrect use of it)

why stick with blonde or cinnamon colored highlights? Desis have such gorgeous hair, we should rock blue, hot pink or candy-apple red highlights! (unless of course one's Proper Desi Career has dresscode and appearance guidelines, I suppose...)

I did the hot-fuschia and was told it was quite lovely. Til it turned brassy, three weeks later :(

At the risk of sounding corny, how about "Desisexual" to describe all the cool brown dudes and dudettes out there ----- people who have "it" but with that indefinable desi twist.....

It's heteropolitan now. ;)

damn brits. the US is always a day late on the trends ;)

Oh yes -- along with "Pseudosexual" -- people who think that they're really hot, but, er, are not.....

I can see ominous overtones of "Wild Auntie" thread Mark 2.....

Jai, you put your desisexual finger on it there - too corny!

And it's not that easy to say.

You don't have to know how to say it, Bongsie, you just have to know how to be it ;)

How about "Pendoosexual" -- for that lungi-wearing, just-been-herding-the-buffalos-and-parked-my-tractor-in-the-driveway look ?

The nonchalantly-tied turban and sweaty beard will satisfy those female Mutineers here who've expressed a soft spot for a bit of ruff.

(Hey, we're back to talking about beards again).

damn those colored contacts .. I used to get "pretty eyes" ... now I just get "are those contacts?"

Sonia - that's your natural eye color? I too assumed contacts ...

I didn't, there's a huge difference between clear and contacts. With contacts you have two overlapping iris patterns, and the eyes look muddy.

Sonia's right, widespread mimicry muddies the signal for those with naturally-occurring attributes (e.g. blond hair and breast size).

sikhs do that weird "smelling" thing, too?? wow, all those elderly mallu relatives weren't strange.

omg, a mouthful of facial hair while kissing is just GROSS. Boys, keep it clean. Unless you have no chin (like Eric Clapton), in which case you do need a beard.

woahhh.....i wouldn't say that at all. facial hair provides extra fun - nothing quite like getting kissed by big soft moustache/beard! besides, more to love! and the look of facial hair is just wow...

and where's poor rabbi shergill and waris ahulwalia in all this? they're absolutely adorable. yeeps...

How about "Pendoosexual" -- for that lungi-wearing, just-been-herding-the-buffalos-and-parked-my-tractor-in-the-driveway look ?

The nonchalantly-tied turban and sweaty beard will satisfy those female Mutineers here who've expressed a soft spot for a bit of ruff.

pattie faints, as she can be heard sighing...

ok, you guys got me on dr. sanjay gupta and that lovely reporter on cnn....which just porves that both are fine, though give me muzzie and beards any day!

ok, you guys got me on dr. sanjay gupta and that lovely reporter on cnn

yes, he's magically delicious. bathe him and bring him to me.

YESSS! ANEESH RAMAN! THAT'S THE OOONNENEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OOOH, is he ever! I can *NEVER* and i mean *NEVER* watch CNN the same way again, but i ca surely thank them for putting him on. And I can hide my HUGE resulting grins from certain other members of the household..lol! oh, he DOES do magic...thay guy is absolutely spellbinding! Thanks for that wee reminder!

Looks like Naveen's going to be a Dad again... shame his girlfriend B.Hershey's not going to be the Mom... although that would have been more interesting.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10741864/

[it's the manscaped crap i can't stand: the weird sideburns, the so(lame) patch, the goatee et al. i associate meeshas/moustaches with mamooty and my dad's generation]

hear hear, anna.

i love the 5 o'clock shadow, tho. its très HOTT

I miss Pattie Kaur.