Tattooing is another hype that is gaining pace in Mumbai, thanks to the resident film industry, Bollywood. According to a trend report, the concept of “Cool Tattoos” came through mainstream Bollywood movie celebrities, instead of an underground/alternative route. Tattoos are considered to be cool and a fashion accessory among the youth, although most of the time it is unacceptable to parents.
To state an example of the Bollywood influence, Sanjay Dutt, a popular actor, has got done 16 tattoos in recent times. There are many more to get inked – Saif Ali Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Esha Deol – to name a few. A large proportion of the youth agree that they'd be inspired by influential people in India like bollywood artists, models, while some use this medium to express themselves.
The fact is that most youth don't get tattoos because its a piece of art, but its a conversation piece, something that speaks about themselves or they want to be tagged as 'cool'. Most of them prefer simple designs, followed by natural and abstract. Very few go in for complex designs or those dedicated to something or someone.
Another interesting fact is nearly 31% of them leave it up to the tattoo artist to choose what they should get inked.What are the favorite spots to get tattoed? Most of them get it on their, arms, neck, waist, ankle, basically places that are exposed; they want to be loud about their tattoo. Tattooing at the moment is mainly, but not limited only to the high income youth bracket. The cost of getting inked in the city is quite high ranging from Rs 800 to 2500 for a square inch in black, while coloured one costs even more. But the cost factor does not stop the Gen Y from going ahead and expressing themselves, in fact since its for life, if they want one they go ahead and get it!
