It’s funny how Padmavati sees Alauddin Khilji have close to no hair on his chest and belly, even though he has a long beard and a long mane. Not just him, but it’s hard to find a lead actor in mainstream Bollywood today with chest hair. 

In such a situation, it’s normal for young men to feel a little insecure about their body hair and shave it off. But it’s okay actually even if you don’t shave it. Unless you have so much body hair that you resemble a bear when you’re shirtless. Then you need to do something. 

“Men with zero hair on chests look attractive only on camera. In real life, a little bit of bush adds some masculinity, but men should not ignore grooming it a little if they have so much hair that you can hardly see their skin,” says Koyal Mishra, a final year B.Com student.

Some men go to great extents to shave their hair. “I always make sure that I trim my body hair every week. It’s a tiring process since you have to cover much more area than when you are shaving your face. Thankfully, I have no hair on my back, so I can do all my grooming on my own,” says Jatin Kapoor, a PR executive.

While some women think that to pull off a clean shaven chest, you need to have a chiselled physique. “A man with a potbelly will look extremely abnormal with no body hair. Whereas someone with a great physique would love to flaunt their ripped physique and those veins that are popping by removing all the body hair,” says Dr. Amrita Karve, a dentist by profession.

Some women think that while men should shave their face and their armpits, they should never ever shave their legs or chest. “Seriously, a man who shaves his legs turns me off in an instant. On the other hand, too much beard has become way too mainstream and I like men who shave their faces daily. A little stubble too is unattractive,” says Pooja Mehta, a software engineer.

MW Verdict: It all boils down to personal choice, really. If you and your partner are okay with no body hair, go for it. If not, refrain from shaving it.

*Names have been changed to protect identity