The modelling world is mourning the untimely death of San Rechal Gandhi, a celebrated model and social media influencer known for challenging colourism and championing inclusivity in the fashion industry. Gandhi died by suicide on Sunday in Puducherry at the age of 26.
According to the police, she consumed a large number of tablets to end her life. Though she was rushed first to a government hospital and then shifted to a private facility, she was ultimately moved to the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), where she breathed her last.
A childhood dream sparked by Aishwarya Rai
Gandhi often credited her childhood fascination with Aishwarya Rai as the defining moment that set her on the path to becoming a model. Recalling her earliest memories, Gandhi once shared in an interview with TOI, “My inspiration for becoming a model came from Aishwarya Rai when I watched the movie Jeans. I remember being in seventh grade and couldn’t stop thinking about Aishwarya Ma’am being crowned ‘Miss World’.”
Her curiosity about the glamour and purpose of beauty pageants led her to persistently ask her parents about the title. It was her father who patiently explained the world of fashion and pageantry, cementing a passion that would later define her career.
Facing criticism and finding resolve
As a college student, Gandhi decided to participate in a beauty pageant in Karnataka. While her father and brother stood firmly by her side, she was met with ridicule and harsh judgment from other family members and relatives. They mocked her complexion and physical appearance, claiming she did not fit the industry’s conventional standards.
Rather than deter her, the experience strengthened her resolve to redefine what it meant to be a model. “I believe that was the day when I ironed my will to become a fashion model,” she once said, determined to inspire others struggling with insecurities about their looks.
Gandhi went on to win the Karnataka pageant title, paving the way for many other accolades. In an eight-year career, she earned four titles, was runner-up three times, and received seven awards. Her proudest achievement was modeling for a national jewellery brand, realising her dream of seeing a dark-skinned model on Indian television screens.
