Amul Girl has a connection to Shashi Tharoor! The photo is of this family member of Congress leader, Amul mascot is modeled after…

Shobha Tharoor, the sister of Congress Lok Sabha MP, Shashi Tharoor, became the first Amul Girl, and later, her sister, Smita Tharoor, became the second Amul Girl, when the dairy firm launched its first color advertisements.

The iconic Amul Girl is perhaps the most impactful mascot in the history of Indian advertising, responsible for the astounding rise of Amul from a small dairy cooperative to India’s top food brand, with a brand valuation of $4.1 billion. But did you known that the popular mascot, designed by advertising giant Sylvester da Cunha, has a connection to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor?

Who is Amul Girl modeled after?

According to media reports, in 1961, at the state of the White Revolution in India, Amul began searching for a child model to use in their advertisements, and went through more than 700 pictures sent by parents across India. However, Sylvester da Cunha was not impressed by any of the aspirants, and asked Chandran Tharoor, the father of Shashi Tharoor, to a send a color photo of his daughter Shobha Tharoor for consideration.

In the photo, reportedly clicked by renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, young Shobha was sporting a ponytail, and draped in a polka dot dress, that later became the face of Amul. Upon seeing the picture, Sylvester immediately realized that he had found the perfect model for Amul Girl.

Thus, Shobha Tharoor, the sister of Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha MP, Shashi Tharoor, became the first Amul Girl, and later, her younger sister, Smita Tharoor, became the second Amul Girl, when the dairy firm launched its first color advertisements.

How the story went viral?

The story first came to light in 2016 when Shashi Tharoor, in an article, lovingly referred to his sisters as “Amul babies”, and has recently surfaced again on social media, inviting heartwarming reactions from social media users, with some jokingly stating that “the Tharoor family has connections everywhere, even with Amul.”

In a comment on a social media post related to his sisters being the first Amul Girl, Shashi Tharoor said his father would have been happy to see his face on Amul hoardings at Marine Drive.

Story highlights

• Shobha Tharoor, the sister of Shashi Tharoor, was the first Amul Girl.
• Her sister, Smita Tharoor, became the second Amul Girl when the company launched color advertisements.
• Amul Girl was created by advertising icon Sylvester da Cunha in 1967.
• Amul Girl is arguably the most iconic mascot in India’s advertising history.

Notably, Shobha Tharoor has also made her mark in the glamour world, winning the Miss Kolkata title in 1977, while Smita Tharoor emerged as one of the runner-ups in the Miss India contest.