When Rick Roy was asked to design Akshay Kumar's look in the upcoming vigilante-drama, Gabbar Is Back, he was taken aback because his projects are usually super-glam (he last styled Mallaika Arora Khan for a special song in Dolly Ki Doli) while this one had little to do with glamour.

He started with the hairstyle and since this Gabbar is an ordinary, Mumbai-bred boy with a yen for adventure, Rick suggested hair extensions. "But Akshay found them fake and uncomfortable and decided to grow his hair and a beard instead," says Rick, insisting this adds intrigue to the character. "We didn't want him to stand out but blend in without appearing over-the-top."

He then turned his attention to Gabbar's wardrobe, giving him custom-designed hoodies in shades of brown, blue and maroon. "Akshay knows clothes better than any other actor. He didn't want too much padding and a flexible harness so he could lift his legs easily for the action scenes. Such meticulous insights are rare," he raves.

Since shooting was mostly during summer, Rick avoided denims and stuck to trousers made of soft linen. "It gave Gabbar an everyday vibe," he points out. And did he draw any references from Amjad Khan's Gabbar in Sholay? "No, I wasn't asked to," he quips, adding with a laugh. "This Gabbar is not a villain. He's a good guy but with a bad name."