Aalim picked up the reins of hairstyling at the age of 16 and his first Bollywood project later.
"My first Bollywood project started in 1993-94 when I took the styling of Chandrachur Singh for the movie 'Maachis'; then I took Manoj Bajpayee's styling for 'Satya' and gradually things started shaping up. Ajay Devgn in 'Omkara', 'Singham' and 'Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai', Ranbir Kapoor in 'Rockstar' are some of my favourite works," he said.
Aalim's upcoming projects include "Aurangzeb", "2 States", Emraan Hashmi's look in "Ek Thi Dayan" and "Ghanchakkar", Ranbir Kapoor's "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani" and Salman Khan's look in "Mental".
He feels hairstyling is getting prominence in Bollywood thanks to experimental scripts.
"The industry is very professional now and actors think of each scene. They want their look to be honest, not overly done-up. Earlier stars were seen in same hairstyle for 30 long years but now script demands new look in every scene; for instance, I tried to give Ranbir seven to eight looks in 'Rockstar' and this varied from his college look to musician look," Aalim said.
"As films are getting realistic, hair also plays an important role in making character. We don't want to see them in the same way all through life," he said.
And what is the worst part about his profession?
"When people come with a request to be like someone. It happens everywhere. They are inspired by celebrity styles and this is the very sorry part. People need to believe in their own style. It is very important to revive things but in a contemporary way," he said.
