ELLE Digital Cover Star: Tara Sutaria, In Her Prime

There’s a stillness to Tara Sutaria that feels intentional. On set, between flashes and frame changes, she moves with the kind of ease that comes from knowing exactly who she is — and no longer needing to prove it. The poses come instinctively: a tilt of the chin, a hand resting just-so, a moment held long enough for the camera to catch its breath and the perfect amount of ease in her movement. Glamorous and so sure of herself. This is Tara, ten years into the public eye, entirely at home in it.

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“I’ve always believed success is internal,” she says later, slipping seamlessly from the theatrics of the shoot into conversation. “Peace of mind, a handful of people who love you, knowing yourself, that’s always been the goal.” It’s a philosophy that feels lived-in rather than rehearsed, shaped by growing up early in an industry that demands constant reinvention.

If anything feels different about Sutaria today, it’s her comfort with stillness. With not reacting. With choosing herself. “I’ve learned how to protect my peace,” she says, admitting that it didn’t come naturally when she was younger. When creative overwhelm hits, her instinct is not to escape outward, but inward, self-reflection, solitude, sometimes doing absolutely nothing at all. “Only we know how to calm our nervous systems,” she adds simply.

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That clarity extends to the stories she’s choosing to tell. This March, she returns to the screen with Toxic, a film she describes as unlike anything she’s been a part of before. Led by director Geetu Mohandas, the project marks another step in Sutaria’s growing gravitation towards thrillers and survival dramas. “Those are the stories that excite me the most,” she says, citing Apurva (2023) as one of her most fulfilling experiences to date. “It was character-driven and felt extremely raw, real. That’s the space I want to keep exploring.”

And yet, she hasn’t abandoned softness. Musicals, love stories, drama with music woven through, those will always call to her. “Something light can be really fun too,” she smiles. The balance feels intentional: intensity without losing romance, depth without abandoning joy.

Fashion, meanwhile, has become one of her most fluent languages. Sutaria’s style has always been classic and rooted in the quiet luxury genre, hasn’t shifted with trends, and she prefers it that way. “I’ve never really followed trends,” she admits. What she does enjoy is the art of dressing up, the drama of it, the care, the ritual. She recalls her grandmother dressing immaculately, even for airport trips, with a bouffant and jewellery perfectly in place. “I hope we bring that culture back,” she says. “Dressing up isn’t too much.”

That sense of intention runs deep. Long before films, Sutaria was designing her own stage outfits during her singing career, mapping out silhouettes and details instinctively. Today, how she presents herself is a blend of planning and intuition, never accidental, never forced.

Perhaps the most defining through-line of her career, though, has been her willingness to walk away. “I’ve chosen my values over work, multiple times,” she says, candidly acknowledging the cost. Turning down projects, stepping away from systems that didn’t align with her essence — choices that were risky, difficult, and often misunderstood. “But I would rather lose a film than lose myself.”

It’s a resolve that has only strengthened with time. She no longer feels compelled to correct them. “As long as I know the truth, and the people closest to me do, that’s enough.”

As the shoot wraps, Sutaria slips effortlessly out of frame, already looking ahead. Films, music, food and passions she’s ready to return to and explore. “People will see many things they haven’t yet in my career,” she says, excitement unmistakable.

In this moment, there’s no rush in her voice. She is grounded and deeply self-assured, as Sutaria isn’t chasing what comes next. She’s simply inhabiting exactly where she is. And it shows.

Team Credits:

Editorial Director and words by: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Videographer: Anurag Ekka; Fashion Editor: Shaeroy Chinoy; Sr. Graphics Designer: Sakshi Badani; Makeup: Shraddha Mehta; Hair: Zoe Quinny; Bookings Editor: Rishith Shetty; Assisted by: Idris Nidham, Hardika Singh (styling), Tapasya Sawant (bookings); Artist Reputation Network: Collective Artists Network