The girl from the coal mines of Dhanbad Vamika Nidhi, is a diamond in the rough who hopes to make it to the summit
By Asmita Aggarwal
The beauty about modelling is that it attracts all kinds of girls, whether they are from Thar Desert or Western Ghats, the aspirations remain the same to do the catwalk despite the short-lived nature of this hyped profession. So when Vamika Nidhis professor mother asked her if it will sustain her in the long run, even though the answer was not in the affirmative, the teacher of labour laws in Ranchi still supported her daughter along with her husband, an All India Radio (AIR), programme executive. My mom and aunt have really been the wind beneath my wings and used to update me despite living in a place like Dhanbad that wasnt even remotely connected with fashion or Bollywood, but I guess the hunger was there to be part of this world, says the 22-year-old.
The only regret is that growing up in Dhanbad, she missed having the opportunity to participate in sports, due to limited exposure, life was limited to school and studying. When I came to Mumbai to study philosophy at Sophia College, I realised what all I had missed as Mumbai is such a buzzing city, she adds. Her father till today is unhappy that she hasnt completed her masters in literature which has made Vamika enrol to finish it this year. My father doesnt treat it like a profession; he thinks modelling should be limited to being a hobby. Though I have an older brother, who has always encouraged me and I am pretty close to him. He is the obedient one, who always listened to my parents and followed their instruction, but I was the difficult and pampered one, she chuckles.
Last year, Vamika enrolled for Ms India, representing Jharkhand and then met Alesia Raut, who trained her and then offered modelling assignments. Her dream remains to be a Victorias Secret model even though she knows it is the toughest things. Most such models are scouted when they are just 16-years-old so age will be a barrier. A good model is one who can maintain her calm, have enormous patience and be nice to people whom she works with. It is not just about having a beautiful body and loads of confidence, she admits.
There is a lot more to Vamika than the runway, she is a painter and abstract is her chosen genre. This started in college, when she got home a canvas and started painting, and learnt how to mix colours with no formal training, just pure instinct. Painting is cathartic it serves as a vent to your feeling when you connect with your innermost self! Blue depicts sadness in my paintings and red is of course, passion. After I complete ten paintings I hope to hold an exhibition of my works, she concludes.