Dreams of being a fashion model have come true for Saihaan Gokul, whose mum, Arusha has been working tirelessly to ensure they do.
Image: SUPPLIED
Thirteen-year-old Saihaan Gokul owes his modelling debut to his mother, Arusha Gokul. Her persistence in wanting the best for her son led him to a campaign for leading retailer, Mr Price. Two weeks ago, his images began appearing in the store’s window displays at local malls.
When Arusha first spotted her son’s pictures in a window while shopping, she “was ecstatic”. Later that day, after fetching Saihaan from school, she made an excuse to go back to the mall.
“My mum picked me up from school and said she wanted to get a few groceries from the mall before we headed home,” Saihaan recounted. “As we walked in, she walked slowly by the store’s window, until I realised pictures of me were on display.”
Reacting to the display, Saihaan said, “I was absolutely shocked. I just could not believe my eyes. It felt like I was hallucinating. I mean, I knew to expect it because I did the photo shoot, but to actually see it happen, in front of my eyes, I was blown away. I didn’t expect for this kind of moment to happen in my life.”
Saihaan’s journey to his debut has been years in the making. Formerly of Phoenix in Durban, Arusha moved to Gauteng 23 years ago, and Saihaan was born in August 2012.
“Ever since he was a baby, I always wanted him to be featured in pictures related to television ads, billboards, and my dream was getting him signed up with a casting agency to start that exciting adventure. I enrolled Saihaan into a casting agency in Gauteng,” Arusha shared.
Three years ago, mother and son moved back to Durban following the death of Saihaan’s father. “Back with family, I wanted to start afresh and give Saihaan a second chance at making his dreams a reality, and I signed him up with a casting agency in KZN,” she added.
Smiling with appreciation as his mother retold her story, Saihaan said, “Without my mum’s support, I would not have gotten as far as I have. She is always looking out for me and wants the best for me. She did this for me so that I can be a better person.”
Working with other child models at the photo shoot about two months ago, Saihaan admitted, “I did not know any of the other children. At first I was nervous and did not know what to do. But then the team made me feel comfortable, and I felt like myself, and then everything came so naturally.”
He reflected further: “The whole experience has been something wonderful and awesome. I got to develop new skills in front of the camera. I learned to have a lot of patience and I soon learned how to work as a model.”
Since booking the gig, Saihaan has made a change to a healthier lifestyle. “I’ve always been active at school, playing soccer with my friends. But I have stopped eating any sugar and cut down on my calorie intake. It feels good to maintain my body and keep healthy.”
Even has a baby, Saihaan had all the making of a model.
Image: SUPPLIED
While the teen may have conquered the catwalk, his eyes are set on a runway of a different nature. He dreams of someday being a pilot.
“Ever since Mum and I have been flying during school holidays from Johannesburg to Durban, I have loved flying. So if I don’t make it as a model, I will study towards becoming a pilot. My dream is to be able to fly and model at the same time.”
For now, Saihaan is enjoying the attention from his friends at school who have nicknamed him “Mr Model Boy”. He chuckled, “It’s a cool name. I love it.”