Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 18, 2020)

Kartik Aaryan’s self-attested “jungli” lockdown look has spawned many a hot take. When the actor recently conducted an Instagram poll, asking followers if he’d look better without the intense facial fuzz, Deepika Padukone was among the early responders, agreeing that he would.

Taking a cue from the actress, a bunch of kids took the musical route with what Kartik called a ‘Cut The Beard Concert’, to suggest that the actor might be in need of a snip. Parodying Kartik’s hit track, “Dil Chori”, from Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, the group went, “Mila Tujhe Muh Cute Sa, Ye Tune Kya Kar Diya, Mujhko Ye Tu Bata, Kya Tera Blade Hai Lapata, Muh Sadhu Jaisa Ho Gaya Oye Ki Kariye Ki Kariye”, with two of the kids smearing shaving foam on their faces.

“Kartik came across the video while looking at one of his fan pages and loved it,” informs a source close to the actor, adding that the message was all the more special as it came from kids. “He loves his little fans and tries to interact with them as much as possible.”

Now, the concerted efforts of Deepika and the young fans seem to have worked. Over the weekend, Kartik returned to Insta to share a clip of his new avatar. The video narrated in Kartik’s mother’s voice just how he was “tricked” into shaving his beard. In the actor’s words, “Mummy sahi khel gayi.” And that’s how a jungli became civilised.