Hyderabad: By her admission, Reha Sukheja was one of the “boys” in school, who would pick up every sport that came her way.
Being a six-footer, basketball was her “game” and even the idea of modelling seemed ridiculous to her.
That was until she contested in the I Am She Miss Universe India beauty pageant in 2010, aged 19.
Shortly after coming second, Reha bagged her first assignment, at the Indian Bridal Week.
This was soon followed by the Lakme Fashion Week, Wills India Fashion Week, Jewellery Week and shows for designers Manish Malhotra, Manish Arora, Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani, Neeta Lulla, Rocky S, Shantanu and Nikhil, Asmita Marwa.
The Hyderabad-based model is currently in town to shoot for designer Pernia Qureshi’s pop-up shop at the Falaknuma Palace in the city.
And Reha, now 23, owes her amazing resume to mum Renu, an image consultant and fashion stylist.
“Mum was always inclined towards the fashion industry and urged me to try modelling. Mothers always have a sixth sense, a strong intuition when it comes to their children. As I look back, I wonder why I was even questioning her?” says Reha, an alumni of Vidyaranya School and Chirec Public School in the city .
Last year, Reha moved to Mumbai because Hyderabad “didn’t have much to offer.”
Reha’s six-foot frame was also something that well, mattered. “In a country where being 5’8” is considered tall, you can only imagine what a six-foot tall girl goes through. It was only when I started modelling that I realised that my height was a boon, not a curse. People loved my height and I could finally stand tall.”
A break in Bollywood will also be tricky because the last time we checked, the heroes were the ones holding the umbrellas.
“I’m extremely dramatic and I love Bollywood. But I don’t think the industry is ready for someone as tall as me. Also, later in life, I would love to pursue Economics”.
