Key Points
- Bhavesh Lakhtariya came to Australia as an international student, now runs a successful hair salon business in Melbourne
- He counts visiting Indian cricketers and Bollywood celebrities amongst his customers
- Mr Lakhtariya failed in his IT course in the first year, decided to study hairdressing
Melbourne-based hairdresser Bhavesh Lakhtariya is famous for his hairstyling skills not only within the local Indian community but also amongst visiting Indian cricketers and Bollywood celebrities.
During the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, Indian cricketers like Rishabh Pant, Kedar Jadhav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel and members of the Indian coaching and support team had their hair styled by him.
As with many successful people, failure came before success.
Mr Lakhtariya shares the story of his struggles and success in Australia with SBS Gujarati.
A head full of dreams
Bhavesh Lakhtariya arrived in Australia in 2005 on a student visa to pursue a Masters in Information Technology at Swinburne University, Melbourne.
Initially, he struggled to settle in a new country. Things didn’t go as planned or expected and he failed in all his subjects in the first year.
Coming from a middle-class family in Surendranagar, Gujarat in western India, returning home after investing a big sum of money into a foreign education was not an option for him.
But he did have an option which changed the course of life: Mr Lakhtariya decided to change his course as a last resort.
He researched about other suitable career options and finally chose hairdressing.
“Hairdressing is our family business in India. All my uncles and brothers have established themselves in this profession. So, I thought if I work hard, I may succeed too,” he told SBS Gujarati.
“Surprisingly, I received my degree with flying colours at the TAFE Carrick Institute in Melbourne,” he adds.
Chain of salons in Melbourne
Mr Lakhtariya opened his first hair salon in a small shop in Melbourne’s eastern suburb of Hawthorn in 2009.
Recalling those days, he says he didn’t have enough capital to start a business. A friend advised him to take a loan.
A business loan and over 10 years of struggle later, he now has two successful salons across Melbourne, employing more than 25 professional barbers.
My failure in the first year of my IT degree was a turning point in my life.
Mr Lakhtariya believes that had he not failed in the course, he would have continued studying and ended up in another occupation.
Styling Bollywood stars and Indian cricketers
An active member of the local Gujarati community, Mr Lakhtariya has been a helping hand to many students who come to Australia with hope and dreams.
“I have helped many international students find accommodation and jobs in Melbourne,” he says.
Lending a hand with community events has helped Mr Lakhtariya connect with Indian celebrities visiting Australia.
“I have been sponsoring and volunteering in community events since the start of my business," he tells SBS Gujarati.
Many Indian artists touring Australia for events began to visit my salon for styling.
He gave them complementary services to promote Indian culture in Australia.
He counts Bollywood actors and singers like Govinda, Arbaaz Khan, Himesh Reshammiya, Shreya Ghoshal, the late Raju Srivastav, and Krushna Abhishek amongst his customers.
Bhavesh with Himesh Reshammiya (L) and Arbaaz Khan.
He calls Kedar Jadhav, an all-rounder in the Indian cricket team, “a good friend”. Whenever he visits Australia with the Indian cricket team, Mr Jadhav visits his salon.
Besides his hair styling services, Mr Lakhtariya also caters to other needs of these celebrities, like their food and dietary supplements and even taking them shopping in Melbourne.
Indian cricketers consider me their friend as I provide them the best possible hospitality in Melbourne.
“If they want to eat traditional Indian food or go shopping, they call me. I organise everything and sometimes even drive them in my car,” he says with pride.
Bhavesh with Indian cricketer Axar Patel
This October, Indian fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar asked Mr Lakhtariya for a haircut just hours before the high-voltage India-Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup in Melbourne.
I quickly said yes!
"I did his hairdressing at the team hotel in the morning and wished him good luck for the match against Pakistan in the evening,” he recalls.
Mr Lakhtariya aims to expand his business in Australia further and work as a bridge between the Indian community in Australia and the Indian celebrities visiting Australia.
Bhavesh Lakhtariya (R) with Indian cricketer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Source: Bhavesh Lakhtariya
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