Anushka Sharma’s modelling days weren’t all glam; fashion designer Saisha Shinde recalls the actress getting ‘bullied’

Anushka Sharma is one of Bollywood's biggest names, known for her leading roles in films, luxury brand endorsements, and more. Beyond phenomenal acting, she has a knack for fashion. Anushka gets a gold star for her fashion choices on and off the red carpet and on the magazine covers. Before gaining fame, Anushka chased her dreams of being a model. When she wasn't famous yet, as a model, she had to work even harder to reach the top due to the competition.

In an insightful gossip, Saisha Shinde shared that Anushka was the victim of bullying back when she was modelling. Her story not only highlights the harsh realities of the runway but also how Anushka rose above the challenges and became one of India’s most influential actresses.

Taking to Instagram on June 5, Saisha revisited a moment from a fashion week show where a young Anushka was walking as a newcomer model. She wrote, “There was a girl in this show. Fresh, tall, long hair – absolutely stunning. Quiet. A model from Bangalore who had just started, and I believe it was her first season at fashion week.”

Saisha continued and wrote, “She’s standing in her first look, a rose suede coat, her hair half-pinned, no makeup yet, and a phone in one hand. She isn’t looking at the camera. She’s looking down, a little folded into herself, the way you do when you’re new and not sure you’re allowed to take up space.”


“And just at the edge of the frame, another model’s hand, resting on her head. Casual. Careless. The kind of small gesture that tells you everything about who a room has decided matters and who it hasn’t,” she added.

Saisha admitted that she noticed this interaction, which stayed with her, and this memory became one of the reasons that she wanted the best for Anushka, making it the biggest moment of the show.

The designer went on, “Maybe that’s part of why I wanted to give her the closing look. The final walk. Not only because of how she moved, though she moved beautifully, but because something in me wanted the quiet girl, the one the room was treating like the fresh girl they can bully, to have the loudest moment of the night.”

She also pointed out how Anushka carved her way up and became Bollywood’s leading lady. She wrote, “I was overruled. The closing look went elsewhere; she was moved earlier in the line-up, second last to be precise. I was young then and new, and I hadn’t yet learned how to win those fights. I let it go. I was quietly heartbroken about it.”

NASA Moon Mission 2026: Astronauts to wear Prada-designed spacesuits on upcoming lunar landing

Looking back in time, Saisha noted how quickly Anushka’s life changed as she was cast opposite India’s biggest stars and got ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ with Shah Rukh Khan. She wrote, “A year and a half later, she made her first film opposite one of the biggest stars in the world. Her name was Anushka Sharma.”

She concluded the caption, saying, 'I still think about that fitting room. A space full of people who couldn’t see her and one designer who could but still couldn’t give her the moment he wanted to. Some lessons in this industry were never about fabric at all.”

Madhuri Dixit’s lace saree look came with a collar and that meant business

This small revelation offers a glimpse into the challenges the actress encountered before making her big mark in Bollywood, making her journey from a young model to a leading star in Bollywood, which surely became inspiring.