If you have the grit and determination to seek what you really want, the universe aligns to pay off your hard work. This is something that reflects deeply in the life and works of Mumbai-based celebrity hairstylist Swapnil Diwakar. Hailing from a small village in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, and a family of barbers, Swapnil came to Mumbai with a deep-seated dream within him. He was zealous and hardworking and this landed him the position of one of the go-to hairstylists in Mumbai, preferred by the likes of Tiger Shroff, Dhanush, Vijay Deverakonda and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He’s someone many artistes in Mumbai count on for a new look and his vast clientele is rather impressive. The hairstylist has collaborated with Dhanush for his upcoming film, Captain Miller. He says, “It’s always a treat to work with Dhanush. (He is) so humble and grounded! I'm sure he is going to break records with this film. His work is impeccable and working with him fills my heart with pride." t2 engaged in a quick chat with Swapnil about his journey and work. Excerpts: Tell us about your journey of becoming a hairstylist... I belong to a family of barbers and we'd cut hair for people in our village. When I started off I had no plans of coming to Mumbai and starting a full-blown career of this sort. I read magazines and articles and that drove me to this city. I was really inspired by the works so I decided to pack my bags and set off for Mumbai, without a clue that I was about to become a part of the industry. After coming to Mumbai, I took training from proper academies and the avenue to my career sprung open. How did you become a celebrity hairstylist? After reaching Mumbai celebrity hairstyling became a dream for me. To work with these artistes became a dream come true. I had to struggle and learn a lot. I learnt from senior hairstylists like Amit Thakur, Hasan Salmani and Nitin Gauri. So, I stayed with them and learnt a lot from them. It took a lot of time and patience to learn. However, it feels good when you have worked on an actor's hairstyle and a huge hoarding fills up the city. I stop, watch and feel proud then! What were the challenges? There were plenty of challenges. Studying traditional and contemporary looks was one of them. The actors play different characters in the movie, so it's very important for us to study the character and give them the looks. Hair is super important to determine a character and personality and the style needs to be on point. Bringing out the role or character played by the actor in the movie through his hairstyle is really challenging and interesting. How was it to work for Tiger Shroff? Tiger is a gem! He’s like family and it’s always a treat to work with him. He knows what he wants and is accommodating to teeny-weeny experimentations too. Tiger and I have a really special working relationship. We value each other and work well together. It's always a treat to find someone who is both accommodating and willing to try new things, so I'm grateful to have found that in Tiger. Wavy and flowy hair suits him. And he prefers it too. They perfectly complement his chiselled looks. Currently, waves are in vogue. Wavy hair gives a very chic look too. It highlights your facial features. For girls as well as for boys with long hair, this is a nice option. Who's your favourite to work with? I love working with everyone and thankfully they've all appreciated my work. I have done three movies with Dhanush already and Captain Miller is coming up! So you are living your dream... I just packed my bags and came to this huge city without anything concrete in mind. I stayed and adjusted at places, and faced financial troubles but it never deterred my focus from the learning process. I didn't waste any time and I kept working every day and with good people who have taught me a lot. I'll never forget Yuva Rajkumar (from the Rajkumar family of the Telugu film industry). He's inspired me and motivated me to keep working hard. When you’re living the best of your dreams, you simply try to only improve yourself and be the best in that dream. Such is my case. Right now, along with projects going on, I’m also honing my skills to be better than before.