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

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

While conversations on inclusivity started in the 2000s, the topic remains relevant even today, as is evident from this year’s theme for International Women’s Day. And Dr (Retd) Captain Gita Prakash’s story is the perfect reflection of why.

She joined the armed forces as a doctor right after college and served for five years. “Modelling was a fortunate surprise for me. After leaving the Army, I practised as a general physician at a private hospital. It was there that an Italian photographer, who came as a patient, said, ‘You know, the next time I shoot in India, I would like to take you on’,” recalls Prakash. At the age of 57, the ex-Army doctor started with small shoots. At 69, she is still one of the most-soughtafter faces in the modelling 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 modelling 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.