Since the public release in theaters in December 2023, Ranbir Kapoor’s muscular and tough look in Animal has been made a topic of conversation. Although the film has been both ridiculed and praised, one topic that kept coming up insustainably was Ranbir’s distinct and odd look with the long-waved hair, curls, etc. Now, the well-known celebrity hairstylist Aalim Hakim has pointed out that this hairstyle did not come so much from his aesthetic but was actually inspired by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, became one of the biggest blockbusters of 2023 with worldwide earnings of ₹915 crore. It featured Ranbir Kapoor as Ranvijay Singh, a rage-fueled violent character whose life takes a bloody turn when his father, Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor), is at risk. The cast also featured Bobby Deol as the evil antagonist Abrar Haque, a long-lost cousin of Ranvijay’s family, along with Rashmika Mandanna and Tripti Dimri.

Although the film was a resounding commercial success, the reception was rather polarized due to backlash for allegedly glorifying toxic masculinity and misogyny, but most of the contributing sentiment around viewing Ranbir’s engaging presence on screen, as well as the film’s multiple looks that connected with the characters emotions and storytelling.

In a recent interaction with Hindi Rush, Aalim Hakim spoke in detail about the thought process behind crafting Ranbir’s hairstyle in Animal. According to Aalim, the film required distinct looks to represent different phases in Ranvijay’s life. “There were multiple looks in Animal. Vanga sir had told me that the lead had long hair in his younger days, but then he cut it off for his father. Later, when he returns from America, he again has long hair. So both these long hair looks had to be different,” Aalim explained.

It was during this creative brainstorming that Vanga shared a key detail: Ranvijay’s character is a fan of Michael Jackson. That revelation became the turning point in styling Ranbir’s appearance. “When I learned that the character is a Michael Jackson lover, I realized why he has this entire leather jacket and white T-shirt look. I cracked the look and took inspiration from Michael Jackson’s curls and man bun for Ranbir,” Aalim revealed.

To realize the vision, Aalim recalled that he thoroughly researched and collected images of iconic moments of Michael Jackson, then used these as a reference to design a hairstyle that felt real, original, and appropriate for Ranbir’s character. The outcome? An unkempt mess of curls and layers that felt stylish but also symbolic of Ranvijay’s youthful rebellion and rage.

Aalim also commented that a lot of people haven’t made the connection to Michael, but now that we’ve discussed it in press interviews, people are starting to recognize the tribute. “While watching the film, people were not able to see that it’s the same style! “Now that I am saying it, one can see the similarities. Uski entry moonwalk pe hain (He makes his entry with a moonwalk),” Aalim added, confirming a deliberate nod to the King of Pop’s iconic signature move.

Ranbir’s look in Animal quickly became a trend, as followers swarmed the internet to recreate it and marvel at his daring fashion sense. The combination of Michael Jackson’s pop culture influence and Indian cinema storytelling made for an unexpectedly uninteresting character design choice, having easily become one of the most intriguing instances of character design in recent Bollywood memory.

As Animal concluded on a cliffhanger, the buzz surrounding its sequel, Animal Park, has begun to form. With the foundational aesthetics established, we will now get to see where Ranbir’s look develops in the next part of Ranvijay Singh’s arc.

Regardless of whether you loved the film or condemned the film’s messages, Animal has left behind a strong legacy and an unexpected moonwalk.