Hakim Alim (the man with glasses) gives actress Mona Singh a hair makeover

Beauty is more than just skin deep and more than a makeover that transforms the way a person looks, what is really important is a “mindover” that aims to boost a person’s confidence level and transforms her from within.

That’s the concept behind Blue Carpet, the latest in the series of reality shows to hit Indian television. The makeover reality show, held in association with Sunsilk, kicked off on UTV Bindaas on April 17.

The show sees selected lucky girls get a makeover from Hakim Aalim, Bollywood’s leading hairstylist, costume stylist Imam Siddiqui and television host Archana Vijaya. The girls not only get makeovers but are also educated and trained on the new personal look and style they are advised to adopt.

“The concept of Blue Carpet is wonderful as it emphasises not only external appearances but also focuses on building inner confidence and attitude of the participants. It is a concept that has never been explored on Indian TV,” said Milind Soman from Face Entertainment, producer of the show.

“Blue Carpet is very different from the usual makeover shows where people want to look like Bollywood stars. This show is about real people whom we are giving individual looks and styles,” said Aalim, who has also been involved in the process of selecting the girls. “We went through the videos sent by the girls and selected them keeping certain things in mind,” he added. Girls with low self-esteem resulting from problems like skin pigmentation or weight problem have been taken on board because “it is a challenge to work on them and boost their confidence”.

“We consider a girl’s overall look — from skin to hair texture to figure and face — and tell her what her right look and style should be. Then we train her how to practice it,” explained Aalim. “It is more a mind-over than a makeover as we have to brainwash a participant to get rid of her inhibitions and notions about herself and be more confident and self-assured to carry her new look,” he added.

Each episode sees one participant go through the makeover and the 13 girls have been taken on for 13 episodes. Apart from the makeover, the participants are put through certain tasks in each episode, all designed to raise their confidence levels. From bartending to performing at public places, there’s an exciting line-up of activities.

The panel of judges for the show includes the likes of Shiamak Davar, Mickey Contractor, Nisha Jamwal, Nina Manuel, Pooja Bedi and Gul Panag.

The show is aired every Friday at 7pm.