This Harley-Davidson lover, is more than just a pretty face exuding copious amount of feminine charm, as Radhika Bopaiah loves life in the fast lane.
By Asmita Aggarwal
You wouldnt expect a lissom 22-year-old, five feet nine inches tall leggy lass to be driving the powerful Enfield, but Radhika Bopaiah has never followed the conventional norms of what society dictates.
The girl from Bengaluru, who is also starring in the Kingfisher Supermodel 3, hopes to ride a Harley-Davidson soon, and she has already got a tattoo of the famed bike-maker on her arm, to remind her of her goal.
When I am riding it is just me, the bike and the wind in my hair! It is a feeling of nirvana. My love for bikes started when I was introduced to them by a family member; I was 18 years old, and as they proverbially say, there was no looking back, she grins.
An avid sportsperson in school playing basketball and hockey the self-confessed tomboy found it tough to be moulded into a feminine avatar for the catwalk. If you leave me with a bike, you wont find me for days. The bigger the bike, the greater my excitement. I was always different and enjoyed the outdoors much more unlike most girls my age in school, she admits.
At 22, standing five feet nine inches tall, Radhikas dad an ex-Army officer who now works for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), always encouraged her to do what makes her happy.
Even when she was discovered by Prasad Bidappa and sculpted into a model, as Radhika says, He knows it when he sees you, he fully understands your potential, so I knew I was in the right hands.
Being in the world of glamour is not an easy task, as Radhika who is currently shooting for the Kingfisher Supermodel show, has been up on her feet for 20 hours in a day, being the first scheduled for hair and make-up. Not everyone can cope with it, you have to be professional, on time and be able to communicate well, she says.
Her strengths have always been, as she tells you, an artistic body even though the short boyish hair gives her a distinctive style, she is still working on not getting nervous in front of the camera when she has to talk. I like the effortlessly cool model Nikita Sahay, but I also have my future plans in place as this flirtation with modelling will have to end soon. I never workout, I have been blessed with a great body, but I avoid junk food and I think all those years of sports has made all the difference, she says.
And those future plans include retiring from the hectic world of modelling to the wonderful scenic beauty of New Zealand, where she will get into organic farming. I have already found my ideal man, who is a perfect gentleman; he pulls a chair and opens the car door for me, it is the simple gestures that seal the deal for me. People think I am shy and quiet, but I am very observant, so for me a guy who talks too much is a turn off, she laughs.