A man who once cut the hair of Bollywood actors and Indian cricket icons has traded five-star hotels and chartered planes for the red dust of Alice Springs, where he now runs a salon that has quietly become one of the town's most celebrated gathering spots.
Nishant Mahendru, known to locals simply as Nish, grew up in the Punjab region of northern India and defied his parents' wishes by leaving his hometown after school to pursue a career in hairdressing. The profession carried little respect back home, but Mahendru had bigger ambitions.
From Punjab to Bollywood
Mahendru made his way to Mumbai, telling himself he was going to work with Bollywood. The plan paid off. Training opportunities through a major international cosmetics brand opened the door to a position at a celebrity salon, where he found himself working alongside prominent Bollywood actors Sunny and Bobby Deol, as well as some of India's most famous cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma.
Over the years that followed, he travelled the world, worked on a political campaign across India and enjoyed a lifestyle he describes as "very fancy." But eventually, the relentless pace caught up with him.
"I was travelling overseas, staying in five-star hotels, flying in chartered planes and all this, living a very fancy life. But then I got bored. I was like, what's next for me?" he has said.
He turned his attention to Australia and secured a Skilled Regional visa in 2019, just months before that visa category was closed to new applicants. He describes the timing as a stroke of luck he still marvels at.
Alice Springs: An Unexpected Home
Mahendru initially arrived in Alice Springs for a two-week holiday. He stepped off the plane bracing for trouble, having absorbed the town's fraught reputation from afar. Instead, the first words he heard were "welcome to paradise."
The spiritual energy of the place and the warmth of its people drew him in. When an opportunity arose to take over the lease of a local hair salon, he borrowed money from friends and seized it. The result was Why Not by Nish, a name reflecting the easygoing philosophy that has guided his unconventional journey.
"Deep down somewhere in my mind and heart, I did want to have my salon one day, but I didn't know how to do that. But this place made it happen so organically that now I think I can open 10 more salons," he says.
Mahendru is 38 years old.
A Community Space in the Heart of the Territory
The salon has built a reputation that extends well beyond haircuts. Music from Arrernte artists, the Traditional Custodians and First Nations owners of Mparntwe (the Alice Springs area) and the broader Central Australian region, regularly plays through the space, helping it establish itself as an inclusive and welcoming environment for Indigenous clients.
Long-time Alice Springs resident Sarah North, 69, was among those who encouraged Mahendru to take on the salon and now visits regularly. She describes the business as an example of the kind of genuine community connection that defines the town at its best.
"It's up to each of us to sing loud from a song sheet that's really positive," she says.
The sense of belonging Mahendru has fostered echoes broader themes of Australia's long history as a place shaped by many cultures, where new arrivals and First Nations communities have often found unexpected common ground.
Keeping Culture Alive Far From Home
Despite building a new life on the other side of the world, Mahendru has not left his Indian heritage behind. As Diwali approaches, those roots take on renewed meaning. The festival of lights is one of the most significant celebrations observed by Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities, broadly marking the triumph of light over darkness, though its customs and significance vary between traditions.
For Mahendru, the festival serves as a reminder that the journey from a small town in Punjab to the heart of Australia has not required him to choose between who he was and who he is becoming.
