Jaya Krishna Ghattamaneni's beard in Srinivasa Mangapuram is neither here nor there. It's a light, patchy beard that falls short of giving him the cover that a thick full beard would have given.
Ram Charan's look in Rangasthalam was a trend-setter. Ever since that blockbuster, many Telugu heroes have tried a thick beard look without a second thought. This has been of particular fascination for medium-range and smaller heroes. Naga Chaitanya's best performance to date is Thandel, and he had a thick beard in it. Come to think of it, would we have liked Akhil's performance in Lenin had it not been for his in-vogue look? Most actors tend to receive more acclaim than they would otherwise have when they grow a full beard. It's a clutch but it pays. A beard is not only a symbol of reckless masculinity but also lets an actor paper over his ordinary expressions in emotional scenes.
So, Jaya Krishna may have made a grave mistake by not making his debut with the right look. Director Ajay Bhupathi might have considered it at one point of time and changed his opinion after a look test. We wouldn't know it.
