Indian male fashion model with a soft textured modern mullet and a dense groomed black beard, laughing with friends in a club entrance queue at night under pink and teal neon, bouncer and velvet rope behind, candid night photo

The Modern Mullet That Looks Deliberate

October 20, 2026

The mullet never really left Indian screens. Sanjay Dutt wore it in the 90s, Virat Kohli brought a modern version back in 2024, and now salon trend lists for 2026 keep naming the soft, textured mullet as one of the cuts men are asking for. With Diwali parties and wedding season lining up back to back, it is turning up in barber chairs across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

Here is the Dapr. take: the modern mullet is worth wearing, but only if it looks deliberate. The line between a sharp mullet and hair you forgot to cut is thin. The difference is never the length. It is the shape, the texture and the finish.

1. Ask for a Soft Mullet, Not a 90s One

The 2026 version is about softer transitions, not harsh steps. Short and tapered at the sides, textured on top, with the back left longer so it just clears the collar. Ask your barber for a low taper around the ears rather than a high skin fade. A high fade with a long back creates two separate haircuts on one head.

What this really means is: the sides and top should blend into the back in one continuous line. If you can see a shelf, it has been cut too hard.

2. Give the Top Texture, Not Shine

A flat, shiny top drags the whole cut back into the 90s. The modern mullet works because the top looks lived in, piecey and matte. Work a pea sized amount of a matte, medium hold product through towel dried hair with your fingers and push it slightly forward and up. The Hair Setting Clay from Dapr. adds grip and volume without a wet look, which is exactly what this top needs.

If you already wear a textured fringe, the top technique is the same. We broke it down step by step in The Textured Fringe That Holds All Day.

3. Treat the Back Like the Feature It Is

This is where most mullets go wrong. The back is the whole point of the cut, yet it is usually left dry, puffy and frizzy while all the effort goes into the top. Indian hair tends to be thick, and in humid cities the longer lengths at the nape swell first.

The back needs control without stiffness, so it moves when you turn your head. A light hold cream smoothed through the lengths does this well. The Hair Styling Cream calms frizz and keeps a natural finish, so the back sits in soft waves instead of a helmet. Use clay on top, cream at the back. Not sure where each one belongs? Our guide Pomade, Clay or Cream: Which One Your Hair Needs covers it.

4. Balance It With the Beard

A mullet adds visual weight to the back of the head. Without a groomed beard, the face looks unfinished next to it. The cut pairs best with a short boxed beard or heavy stubble, kept dense at the jaw with a crisp cheek line and a clean neckline two fingers above the Adam's apple.

A dry, wiry beard undoes the sharp outline. A few drops of beard oil every morning keep the hair soft and the edges defined. The Beard Oil (Patchouli and Amber) softens coarse beard hair and leaves a warm, low key scent that suits a night out.

5. Book the Trim Before You Need It

A mullet is not a grow it and forget it cut. The sides need a clean up every three to four weeks, while the back only needs a light dusting of the ends. Skip the side trims and the cut loses its shape fast. With Diwali on 8 November, book your appointment for the week before, not the day before.