Nidhi Sunil is that girl from the popular shampoo TV commercials whose hair is ‘long and strong’. But the leggy lass, who is now brand ambassador for the product, has much more to her credit. The 24-year-old, born and brought up in Bengaluru, now lives and works in Mumbai dabbling in modelling, law and animal welfare.
In between walking the ramp for Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal and Neeta Lulla, the bright and intelligent Nidhi also graduated from Symbiosis Law School in Pune. “I did a short stint as a legal counsel with ESG — Environment Support Group, Bengaluru during my gap year after graduation,” she says.
Nidhi took up modeling seriously only after bagging a contract with Kwan, Mumbai. However, one thing has always been a constant for Nidhi and that is her love for animals. “I’ve always been a huge animal person. Both my parents are doctors and when I was a child my mother always had an obsessive fear that I’d get bitten by a rabid stray dog someday! Since my move to Mumbai, I’ve adopted four strays. If I had more space, I’d probably adopt more,” says the passionate animal lover.
Nidhi has a special liking for cats, but it has more to do with convenience than anything else. “Cats are just lower maintenance in a big city with cramped living spaces,” she laughs. On a serious note though, she adds, “I once rescued this kitten and named him Mowgli. He had a spinal injury and was paralysed from the waist down. I didn’t succeed in rehabilitating him and he passed away soon after. But he was such a happy cat and fighter. What can I say? Life is always teaching you things.”
Despite the setbacks in rehabilitating animals, Nidhi has also met with success. “While I’ve taken in four strays myself, I’ve rescued and found homes for a few others. Social media communities on the internet definitely play a big role in getting strays adopted, as it’s so much quicker to get the word out. Getting more involved is definitely on the cards, once I have a more stable life,” says the young model, who constantly travels around the globe on work.
Nidhi expresses her desire to work with organisations such as PETA in the future. The lovely model has even shot with animals as part of her modelling assignments. “Once I posed on top of an elephant in Goa. He’s still the star of my portfolio,” she grins.
So how does the animal lover hope to further the cause for all creatures small and big? “I’d love to see the strays in Indian cities have proper homes. I’d like to be involved in a massive drive to vaccinate and spay them to prevent their numbers from multiplying uncontrollably. I know these things are already being done by local organisations in every city; but it would be great to see a singular, unified and organised effort from citizens and organisations alike,” she says.