ELLE Cover Star : Gloss Meets Grounding With Nidhi Sunil

When Nidhi Sunil first appeared on the cover of ELLE India back in 2011, she was unsuspecting of where her life’s twists and turns would eventually lead her. Too dark, too short—people were quick to label her in outmoded parrot tones. 

“But that cover was special. Your team didn’t edit my skin. I looked like my true South Indian self,” she recalls. Sunil is easily one of our finest exports to the west—which Indian model can boast of a L'Oreal Paris contract in her kitty?!

Back in 2021, she became the first Indian model to achieve this feat. Over the years, she has fronted numerous international campaigns, done runways scarcely, enjoyed the world of high-fashion editorials and used her global platform to advocate for diversity and ethical beauty.

These campaigns portray her, rightly, as a global muse rather than just a moment. It’s her grounded resolution, as visible on the Zoom call she joined from Mexico while on a trip, that has, seemingly, carried her into this rarefied club replete with international notoriety.

Sunil’s life is rich in stories. You can easily picture her years from now, at a sunlit lunch in Italy, family gathered around as future generations hang on to every anecdote. She embodies that kind of effortless cool. For instance, there’s this story of how she once enrolled in a French course, just to obtain a visa to fly to Paris for a campaign—icône absolue.

She insists that modelling isn’t a career one can plot with precision. “It’s volatile. You can’t make a list of goals and check them off. So much depends on what the gatekeepers think of you.” What she can count on now, in her late 30s is persistence and a quiet conviction that has kept her showing up, no matter the odds.

But the most formidable challenges, it turns out, weren’t logistical. They were emotional, followed by a contemplative burnout. “At one point, I was told to post content every single day. And just like that you’re the writer, the director, the make-up artist, the lighting person, the editor… you’re a one-woman production company! I was exhausted.” Which is exactly what became a turning point. 

Last year, she began studying Ayurveda at Kripalu, not as a lifestyle trend but as a way back to herself. In parallel, her curiosity shone brighter. She has also studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. “I think everyone should act. It’s confronting. It uses your whole body and takes you to your emotional edge,” Sunil says. She’s also been a part of two films – Gangoobai (2013) and Kaash (2015) – the latter being produced by the late Irrfan Khan.

Sunil doesn’t romanticise the chaos of her industry, but she has learned to navigate it with grace. She protects her peace, honours her pace, and continues to grow on her own terms. And not everyone can step out of the frame without disappearing from it entirely. Sunil’s an exception.

One Of Us

Sunil answers questions from friends, colleagues & collaborators in the industry & beyond.

Elton J Fernandez: What has working outside India taught you?

Nidhi Sunil (NS): I was a sponge in those early years, absorbing everything I could. As a model, people often assumed I couldn’t possibly be a capable actor, singer, or creative—like modelling disqualified me from multidimensionality.

I remember a friend in New York once telling me to add ‘producer’ to my Instagram bio after a magazine invited me to produce and creatively direct my own shoot! New York, in particular, has been liberating in that sense. Choosing the larger life, one that asks for surrender and trust, has always been expansive for me, because it’s so confronting.

Pooja Mor: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

NS: Random, but I would love to be able to shape shift and experience the ocean as a deep-sea aquatic animal, in a way that humans would never be able to.

Sid Sriram: What does liberation mean to you?

NS: Liberation is being able to occupy a mindspace that allows you to act from a place of true choice, and not from fear, insecurity, compulsion, or reactivity. I love that Nina Simone quote where she says, ‘I’ll tell you what freedom is to me—no fear.’Liberation is not so much ideological as much as it is physiological, a state the body inhabits. I have felt it in fleeting glimpses—it’s a WIP over here.

Sandhya Shekhar: After experiencing such a profound transformation in recent years, where do you see yourself heading?

NS: If the last few years have taught me anything, it’s to make space for life to surprise you. When you get out of your own way and live in the present, there’s room for celebration and delight.

Raja Kumari: What is the most valuable tool you have learned over the years to always return to yourself? 

NS:Coming home to yourself really depends on what you assign primary value to—the north star around which all other systems in your life orient. For years, that value was success, something I chased to prop up my own fragility, even at the cost of my mental and physical health. But over time, the clearest and most valuable tool I’ve learned is to listen to my body. Not just as a vessel, but as the primary source of intelligence.

Soojoo Park: In retrospect, if there was an animal guide that led you through your career decisions, which one would it have been?

NS: A cat, for sure. Not the influencer cat that needs ring lights and reels. The pre-Instagram cat who doesn’t care about your opinion. Instead, it prefers to nap, judge, and leave when it’s bored.

Eddie Stern: Did your own healing journey inspire your drive to learn the healing arts and become a practitioner? 

NS: I always wanted to study Ayurveda. In 2022, I was prescribed benzodiazepines for panic attacks, and medicating was a hard no for me. My body was screaming at me to change something, so I listened. The journey has been the hardest, the least externally validating, and most expansive experience of my life. It changed my body anatomically and taught me that success is not synonymous with joy. It taught me to filter romantic partners for emotional intelligence (I’m getting married soon—yay!), and be particular about the kind of community I choose to surround myself with. 

Coco Rocha: How do you think AI will impact modelling over the next five years?

NS:There are already conversations around models licensing their likenesses for digital twins or virtual avatars. The world can see where gen AI is headed and draw the obvious conclusions. I believe authentic human presence will retain its value. Live human experiences – emotional nuance, body language, things that a digital avatar might struggle to replicate – might become more precious.

Pranav Misra: We worked together almost a decade ago. What are three highlights from the last 10 years that have had the most impact on your personality?

NS: We need to change that! I will forever be obsessed with Huemn. Three milestones that have had the most impact on my personality: Living and working in multiple countries. Achieving my goal of signing a global beauty contract, completely burning out and finding therapy.

Team Credits:

Editorial Director: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Photographer: Raajadharshini; Fashion Director: Zoha Castelino; Asst. Art Director: Alekha Chugani; Makeup: Sandhya Shekhar; Hair: Umang Thapa; rep by Anima; Words by: Ipsita Kaul; Bookings Editor : Rishith Shetty; Assisted by: Tejashree Raul, Anshu Sheth (styling), Sharayu Karalkar (bookings); Airline Partner: Emirates.