ELLE Digital Cover Star: Sara Tendulkar On The Chapter You Haven’t Read (Yet)

In a culture obsessed with spectacle, Sara Tendulkar walks in like the antidote. No entourage, no fuss, no stage directions. Just luminous skin, brushed-up brows, a single gold hoop catching the light. She greets me with an unhurried “hi” and the kind of eye contact that makes you forget the noise outside. In a world addicted to volume, she chooses signal.

Her choices become clear from the first time you see her; clarity over costume, ease over excess. And maybe that’s the signal people tune into—the fact that she’s not performing it, she’s living it.

Rituals Over Rush

Her compass reveals itself within minutes. “No matter how packed my schedule is, I make time to move—even if it’s just a 15-minute walk,” she says. “I also carve out pockets of quiet to unwind and reflect. Those little acts of self-care keep me at my best.”

It’s not a sermon. It’s muscle memory. The steadiness of repetition becomes its own kind of anchor—a reminder that wellness doesn’t always have to be radical, just consistent.

Speaking Up, Speaking Clear

The conversation drifts to health, and Sara speaks about PCOS without hedging. “Health and happiness are everything. If you’re navigating PCOS or anything else, please ask for help from friends, family or professionals. There’s strength in speaking up, and no shame in looking after yourself. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is choose yourself.”

It lands like advice, but also like permission—gentle, practical, impossible to unhear.

Her Definition of Success

“Success has never been about fame or money,” she says. “It’s living with purpose, prioritising my health, and finding joy in the everyday. Authenticity drives me. When I’m true to myself and making a positive impact—through the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation or with my new Pilates studio—that’s when I know I’m succeeding.”

The words are polished, but never performative. You sense she’d say it the same way over coffee with a friend.

On Legacy

How does she hold a surname stitched into national memory? She doesn’t flinch. “After I returned from university in London, I came back with knowledge and perspective, and giving back to my country felt like the most natural next step.”

Legacy, for Sara, isn’t about grandeur—it’s about intimacy. “I hope it isn’t merely the work I do, but the confidence it gives others to be themselves. If my journey reminds someone that their voice matters, even when it trembles, then I’ve done my job. If I can leave behind a ripple of courage, curiosity and kindness that inspires people to dream bolder and live truer, my work will have outlived me in the best way.”

A Note to Her Younger Self

What would 14-year-old Sara make of this cover? She laughs, a little startled by the thought. “She’d be shocked to see me in front of the camera! But I think she’d be proud of my academic journey, of my work with the Foundation, and of how far I’ve come in embracing body positivity and building self-confidence.”

It feels like a note to her younger self—and quietly, to ours too.

The Life Beyond the Spotlight

Her daydream is simple: “If I weren’t doing this, I’d live quietly by the beach. Run a little café and smoothie bar, surf every day, chase sunsets. A slow, fit lifestyle—that would be my dream.”

Before we wrap, I ask the most dangerous question a magazine can ask: if ELLE gave you a column? The vision turns practical: “A travel diary would be lovely. Cuisines, cultures, the small rituals I collect. Or a skincare and wellness column where I decode ingredients and share balanced, meaningful tips.”

Both answers trace the same line: Sara has the rare knack of translating self care into something you can actually do at 7.30 am on a Tuesday.

She leaves the shoot the way she entered—calm, considered, complete. No theatrics. Just ritual, just signal.

Editorial Director: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Photographer: Karthik Shetty; Styling: Idris Nidham; Asst. Art Director: Alekha Chugani; HMUA: Kritika Gill rep by TAP; Jr. Bookings Editor: Anushka Patil; Assisted by: Tejashree Raul (Jr. Fashion Stylist), Sneh Lad (bookings); Artist Reputation Management: C&C Talent