Madhulika Sharma: Turning the World Into Her Aisle

Supermodel Madhulika Sharma cares less about the angles she’s celebrated for and more about the emotional intelligence she brings quietly into every room. In an industry obsessed with perfection, she stands anchored in something more essential: instinct, memory, and a deep commitment to listening—really listening—in a world that rarely pauses. As she fronts our destination wedding special, Madhulika invites us into the interior world behind the glossy campaigns and global runways, reflecting on the young woman who stumbled into modelling by accident, the creative she is becoming with intention, and the love she hopes will someday shape the wedding that feels fully, truthfully her own.

“Modelling was never part of the plan,” Madhulika tells us, smiling at the serendipity of it all. “My friend had taken some photos of me for his design school project, which we posted in jest on our Instagram handles. I was in my first year of college at the time. I remember being flooded with agency inquiries and quite hesitantly decided to pursue some meetings. My mother and I went to Mumbai, and the next thing you know, I was launched into the Indian market as 'Fashion's Fresh Face' on a huge magazine cover.” That moment set her off on a journey that would eventually place her on the world’s biggest runways, in rooms where only a handful of Indian-origin models had once stood, and most iconically, doing a campaign with Kim Kardashian. “There have been so many wonderful projects I've been a part of over the years. I particularly loved my first runway debut in New York at the iconic SS2020 shows for designers like Sies Marjan, Zimmermann, Ralph and Russo, among others. But my most memorable feat is being the first Indian model to shoot a SKIMS ad with Kim Kardashian!”

But glamour, she insists, comes stitched with grit. “It's been a long but wonderful journey, to say the least. This is quite literally an industry of looks, personality, and athleticism (especially of mindset). Every rejection is a redirection which teaches you grace, while every opportunity teaches you more about gratitude and the importance of humility.”

Vulnerability, she adds, is its own quiet teacher. “My greatest vulnerability has been maintaining grace through uncertainty or simply navigating self-doubt. It is really human to feel that way, and I've definitely got a few tricks up my sleeve over the years.”

For a woman praised so often for her looks, Madhulika’s response to what she wishes people acknowledged more about her is: “How I make them feel! I love making people feel heard and not just seen. I wish more and more people would just intently listen in this terribly fast-paced world.” And the misconception she wishes would fade? “That looking good is enough, which is totally false. There is a great deal of self-work that goes into the facade…”

Then, like a soft pivot inward, the conversation turns to love. “Love means everything to me. Love is the language of the soul,” she says, without hesitation. Madhulika’s ideal partner, she believes, must carry humour lightly, communicate deeply, and try to be “better than they did yesterday”. When asked if people grow together or individually, she offers a grounded truth: “Frankly, I think it's both…a more-or-less similar wavelength is ideal so the couple can grow together.” Yes, she adds when asked if she’s experienced life-altering love. “It's a really potent feeling!”

If her wedding could mirror her personality, it would shed the performative layers of the industry she works in. “It would be a giant weekend party with all our loved ones doing all the things my partner and I enjoy. Also, I often think about a no-phones-allowed policy for my wedding—I would want it to feel relaxed and harmonious.” And while she hasn’t meticulously imagined the proposal setting, she smiles: “If I had to, I would say somewhere outdoors, preferably by the ocean, where I can hear the calming sounds of nature.”

When it comes to fashion, Madhulika chooses emotion over aesthetic. “I love péro for its sense of nostalgia, Jacquemus for designing from memory, and Prada for its quiet rebellion of norms.” Her most meaningful heirloom is an emblem of gentleness: “I love my mother's Eri silk scarves… Eri is a special Assamese silk made without killing the silkworms, and, for me, it’s a reminder of harmonious co-existence with nature.”

And, perhaps, the most intimate part of the conversation emerges when she reflects on the girl she was before fame. “I am a deeply nostalgic person. I think my best friends can attest that I am the kind of person who’s always reachable, even if I'm on the other side of the planet. I just like being dependable and also having a sense of belonging in their worlds. Additionally, it's the quality my parents instilled in me—to be fearless and to just go for it. I always want to try new things. I am a true Sagittarian through and through!”

As our conversation comes to a close, Madhulika divulges that, off camera, she is building a different version of herself… One shaped by instinct, observation, and creative intuition. “I’d like to be a multi-faceted creative. I have been quietly honing my skills in the full ambit of motion picture. It requires an immense amount of observation and translating that truthfully into a creative output. The version I'm building works with instinct and not just the intellect.”

Photographs By Adil Hasan; Styling By Zunaili Malik; Hair and make-up: Umang Thapa at Anima Creatives; Assistant Stylists: Adarsh Tripathi, Gurneer Kaur and Priya; Bookings Editor and Production: Varun Shah; Location Courtesy: Anantara Jewel Bagh Jaipur Hotel