How a Kerala-based bald men’s collective grew into a global community of 2,000 members

It was astir 3 years agone that Thrissur-based stand-up comedian Sajeesh Kuttanellur decided to shave his caput aft years of grappling with insecurities astir his receding hairline. Attempts to conceal his scalp — from comb-overs to caps — lone deepened his self-doubt and affected his assurance connected stage. Until 1 day, helium decided to fto it each go.

A twelvemonth later, portion performing astatine a amusement successful Thrissur, Sajeesh came crossed a selfie helium had taken with a radical of bald men. The representation stayed with him. Inspired by the consciousness of camaraderie it captured, helium organised a gathering of 25 bald men astatine Thekkinkadu Maidan successful Thrissur.

That meetup would yet germinate into Motta Global, a corporate for bald radical that contiguous counts much than 2,000 members crossed 40 countries, ranging successful property from 24 to 70. Its members travel from divers professions, including farming, aviation, instrumentality enforcement and the clergy. While the corporate presently has nary women members, it remains unfastened to welcoming them.

“Our members see farmers, pilots, priests, constabulary officers and adjacent a Tesla employee,” says Sajeesh. Among its members are vocalist Aloshi Adams, question vlogger Shinoth Savaari and Arjuna Award-winning swimmer Sebastian Xavier. “People often nonstop our illustration to their bald friends arsenic a joke. But galore of them extremity up joining erstwhile they recognize what we’re trying to do.”

Motta Global’s motto, ‘Heading Confidence’, reflects the group’s larger mission. “Hair plays a immense relation successful however radical comprehend themselves. When they statesman losing it, galore conflict with insecurity and self-consciousness. It takes courageousness to clasp baldness and shave your head,” says Sajeesh.

“Most organisations bring radical unneurotic based connected what they have. We bring radical unneurotic due to the fact that of what they don’t have. Our extremity is to assistance radical go much self-aware and confident.”

One of Motta Global’s earliest initiatives was an online anti-body-shaming campaign, with members posting photographs of themselves holding placards advocating assemblage positivity and self-acceptance.

Since then, the corporate has expanded its absorption to broader societal causes. It has organised humor donation drives, consciousness campaigns, assemblage walks and discussions astir issues specified arsenic substance abuse. Members besides enactment successful marathons, portion the Dubai section hosted an iftar repast for astir 1,000 radical earlier this year.

“Currently, nurses are connected onslaught demanding amended wage astatine 2 hospitals successful Thrissur, and we program to enactment them,” says Sajeesh. “We’re besides organising an lawsuit to honour workers from Haritha Karma Sena, Kerala’s flagship greenish task force.”

The corporate besides uses its societal media beingness to situation perceptions that framework baldness arsenic thing undesirable oregon shameful.

Earlier this year, up of the Kerala Assembly elections, Nilambur person PV Anvar said helium would shave his caput and deterioration earrings portion walking done Kozhikode marketplace if helium mislaid to the Left Democratic Front’s Mohammed Riyas. Motta Global publically criticised the remark.

“One shouldn’t subordinate shaving one’s caput with defeat,” says Sajeesh. “For us, it represents confidence, self-realisation and acceptance.”

The radical regularly celebrates the achievements of bald radical crossed professions and disciplines done a web of societal media pages. Motta Stories features AI-generated illustrations inspired by members’ lives, portion Motta Salam shares short-form videos spotlighting idiosyncratic anecdotes. Motta Models, meanwhile, showcases manner models wrong the community.

The corporate is besides readying to motorboat a podcast that volition item members’ journeys and achievements. “We privation to observe our radical and make relation models wrong the community,” says Sajeesh. “That tin animate others and assistance america link with a wider audience.”

Among its upcoming projects is simply a publication compiling essays and idiosyncratic narratives by members, alongside stories tracing the taste past of baldness. The radical is besides exploring plans to show the Motta Global logo astatine Times Square successful New York, wherever respective of its members are based.