Often touted as one of the most macho men in Bollywood, Suniel Shetty broke into the industry in 1992 when he made his debut in Hindi films at the age of 31 with Balwaan, opposite Divya Bharti. Directed by Deepak Anand, the film paved the way for a whole bunch of films in the next few years, including Pehchaan, Dilwale, Anth and superhits like Mohra. Known for his charming chocolate boy good looks paired with his great physique, Suniel soon became the pin-up boy that India was waiting for. That, and his raspy voice, his effortless comic timing and his ability to bring warmth to every frame he was a part of — in no time, Suniel was also making inroads into other language film industries.
Down South, he debuted as the ‘hot young guy,’ in Jeeva’s 12B (2001) where Jho (essayed by actress Jyothika) was intended to marry him. The song Jothi Neranjava sung by Sukhwinder Singh picturised on Suniel, won him many hearts in Kollywood.
In 2007, the actor also made his Hollywood debut in Aditya Raj Kapoor’s Don’t Stop Dreaming. Surprisingly, it was only in 2019, however, that the actor made his debut in Sandalwood, with Pailwaan, and immediately after, returned to Kollywood with AR Murugadoss’ Darbar in 2020, sharing screen space with Rajnikanth. In 2021, the actor also made his debut in Tollywood with Jeffrey Gee Chin’s Mosagallu and returned to Malayalam cinema with Priyadarshan’s Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea (his debut in Malayalam was in Kalimannu in 2013). He was most recently seen in Kiran Korrapati’s Ghani (2022) and while the film tanked, the boxing coach role essayed by Suniel was critically acclaimed.
With 2022 marking 30 years of his acting career in the industry and with over 120+ films in his kitty, the actor recently announced India’s first jewellery label exclusively catered to men. We caught up with him to talk about fashion, the idea behind the label, MetaMan, and lots more.
“The inception of MetaMan was a story that I often shared with the team, where I wanted to accessorise myself for an event and couldn’t recall any brand that pandered to men’s jewellery that I could shop from. Indian men have always adorned jewellery since time immemorial. We lost the culture to wear jewellery after drastic westernisation in terms of fashion and trends. Hence, this was a perfect opportunity to build a brand around this space and enable a cult by recalling men’s jewellery as the new age accessory,” begins the actor, who is the mentor-founder and the brand ambassador for MetaMan.
Launched on International Men’s Day 2022, with 20 unique designs, the label has also raised USD 1 million in seed funding which saw participation from nine unicorn founders and several other successful business entrepreneurs including Nikhil Kamath (Zerodha), Prashanth Prakash (Accel Partners), Gaurav Singh Kushwaha (BlueStone), and cricketers KL Rahul and Robin Uthappa.
“Through the launch of the MetaMan brand, we are celebrating the return of our own men’s jewellery culture. Indian traditions were once a symbol of holding the best artistry; where Indian men taught the entire world how to adorn any jewellery and became trendsetters. Now, it’s time for India to own a men’s jewellery brand that celebrates culture with style and sophistication,” adds Suniel Shetty, who will next be seen in Hera Pheri 3.
Always known for his keen sense of style, Suniel Shetty has been celebrated in the past for being a fashion icon who changed the way the leading men dressed in Bollywood. Unafraid to experiment with colour or bling, the actor often defined the casual chic look, at a time when heroes in Bollywood stuck to boring formal monotones. “I have been wearing jewellery and accessories from a very young age and I personally feel it’s very important for a man to look sharp and carry himself confidently. These accessories enhance one’s look and bring in certain panache to the outfit and also help in creating a fashion statement that people will remember,” explains the actor whose favourite piece from the debut collection of MetaMan is The Nautical Pendant.
The launch collection has been imagined by designer Pallavi Foley and presents a range of high-quality bracelets, pendants and chains made in brass, gold and silver. The label hopes to offer jewellery for every occasion from daily office wear to traditional events — casual wear, beach wear, sportswear and travel wear included.
Anil Shetty, the brainchild and co-founder of MetaMan further explains, “At MetaMan, we aim to accessorise evolved men through our contemporary designs. We believe men’s jewellery culture is not an alien thought but a forgotten one in India. We are now seeing Gen Z and millennials bringing back this trend with style. We’ve launched with 20 unique designs but the plan is to have 150 designs ready in the next three months.”
“The kind of narrative and expression that MetaMan beholds is that of a man who enjoys wearing jewellery and who loves to accessorise; and is someone who’d take an extra step to create a look or perhaps a fashion statement,” Suniel concludes.
INR 699 onwards. Available online.
romal@newindianexpress.com
@elromal