Hair India

\i Hair India\i0 tells a story about beauty ideals in the modern world by means of the journey made by a young girl's hair. The trip begins in a village in the federal state of West Bengal, when Gita is asked to offer up her medium-length hair in the Hindu temple. She has no money or jewels for the god, but by cutting her hair off, she earns the respect of the entire village. Her parents can also use the proceeds to pay for her little brother's eye operation, which costs a mere $40. \par In Bangalore, rows of women sit in a workshop with piles of hair in front of them. They process it into exquisite tresses, which are then sold to beauty salons all over the world. In Mumbai, we meet Sangeeta, a successful businesswoman who exchanges gossip with celebrities while getting extensions in her salon. Thomas works at Great Lengths in Rome, a gigantic company that distributes to salons worldwide and provides movie stars with seductively long locks that cost them thousands of dollars. For Gita, the only valuable thing she has is her long hair, whereas for Sangeeta that hair is a symbol of status and beauty. For many others, it's primarily a way to earn a great deal of money.