A doctor at 21, model at 57: Gita, a beacon of ageless beauty

From serving as an Army doctor to chasing her newly-discovered passion as a model, Dr. Gita Prakash found a way to build a unique path for herself.

“A thing used as an example to follow or imitate.” This is what you will find If you look up the meaning of the word ‘model’ in most dictionaries. If we go back in time, these words defined a lot of the people who were considered ‘ideal’ in the industry. While we can fortunately say that the 2000s started a new era of inclusivity—the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day celebration, conversations around this topic still remain relevant. And Prakash’s story is the perfect reflection of why.

While we can fortunately say that the 2000s started a new era of inclusivity—the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day celebration, conversations around this topic still remain relevant. And Prakash’s story is the perfect reflection of why.

“Modelling came to me as a fortunate surprise. It was an Italian photographer who came into the hospital as a patient and said, “you know, the next time I shoot in India, I would like to take you on,” remembers Prakash who was then working as a family physician and ex-Army doctor for almost 10 years. From serving as a medical consultant to discussing medicine as a radio jockey, while modelling and the aspiration to be on-screen was never something Prakash pursued actively, there was always an inkling and interest there.

At the age of 57, the ex-Army doctor started with small shoots; at 69, she is still one of the most sought-after faces in the modeling world. While she has done campaigns for several big names from the design world, such as Anju Modi, Tarun Tahiliani, Gaurav Gupta, and more, she doesn’t aspire to be on-screen. And the grandmother of one still helps many heal as a medical consultant for various private hospitals.

Acknowledging the transformation of the industry, which is now becoming more inclusive and looking beyond age, race, height, weight, and other superficial attributes or stereotypes, Prakash shares, “A lot of young women come and say, ‘You’re doing modeling at your age. We would also like to start,’ and I say, why not?” Speaking about more women pursuing their passion beyond their daily careers, Prakash believes that doing what you love doesn’t need to be defined or put into context for it to be valid. “All in all, once you decide to follow your dreams, take whatever opportunity comes your way,” she ends.