Before anyone window-dresses it as a trendsetting phenomenon, here's a quick recall - they've been around for a while, entertaining audiences as noisy, nonsensical, irritating sidekicks with fake beards and glittering gota-lined starched Daler Mehndi turbans. While Jaspal Bhatti was the real laugh, Johnny Lever almost mastered the charade, and so did Anupam Kher. Sikhs, on the Indian screen, big and small, popped in and out with a joke of a dialogue till a raging Sunny Deol salvaged their pride first in Border, and then in Gadar. Audiences embraced their new hero, and Sunny had striked as a Turbanator. In fact, in his days, daddy Dharamendra too had women drooling over his Surdy look! Cut to the present, and Aamir Khan's mad genius shines through a quirky old Sardarji on Tata Sky's commercial. Ranbir Kapoor's first look as Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year has everyone, especially the mothers, cheering the turbaned look. Post Sunny and Akshay Kumar, Salman grew a beard for heroes while brother Sohail will be seen as one in Kissan. Saif Ali Khan too tries out the Sikh formula in Imitaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal. Needless to say, Ali's already floored with this community. So is Dibakar Banerjee who recreated Delhi of his days with a cranky, grim looking bearded and turbaned Paresh Rawal as Lucky's father, and Manjot Singh as the award-winning junior Lucky. Boman Irani's made Lucky Singh a legend. While the headgear's making head turns, for Punjabis, this is a vindication. Seems like PM Manmohan Singh's made quite an impression!

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