Anjali Lama is one of the most celebrated Nepali models today but it wasn’t always the same and she has been through a lot, like a really lot, to reach where she is now. Her journey of being born as a boy, finding herself, undergoing a sex change operation to become a woman, dreaming of becoming a successful model, getting rejected and failing, bouncing back and giving her best again, and finally achieving what she always dreamed of — all of this sounds like fiction but well, it isn’t. It’s the incredible life story of inspiring 32-year-old model.
Lama who became the first transgender model to walk the ramp of India’s most prestigious fashion week, Lakme Fashion Week, earlier this year in February is currently based in Mumbai where she is engaged in a numerous modelling projects. She has recently been roped in by international clothing brand Levi’s in their campaign titled ‘I Shape My World’. In the campaign ad, she talks about her struggles as a transgender model.
“Coming to Mumbai, and making a name is even more challenging as a transgender. A modelling agency even told me, ‘We’ve never seen a transgender model before, so don’t bother’, that is when I promised myself, I’m going to become one and prove you wrong”, she says in the ad.
“My friends from the transgender community, I feel they keep drawing inspiration from me”.
Watch the ad here.
More power to you, Anjali. We’re proud of you!
