Selection Stories
Our thoughts don’t always align with our parents’ expectations, but what truly matters is how we navigate those differences without unnecessary conflict. That’s what makes Debsudha Ganguly, aka Tori, so inspiring.
Hailing from Howrah, West Bengal, Tori is studying architecture in Odisha while passionately building a presence in fashion and modeling on social media. Even though her parents prefer she focus solely on academics, she’s balancing both worlds beautifully — proving it’s possible to follow your dreams without rebelling.
Let’s dive into her journey!
Q1) Define yourself in five words.
Debsudha: Versatile, personable, creative, confident, and responsive.
Q2) When did you first realize you loved fashion and wanted to explore modeling?
Debsudha: I have learned dancing for the past 17 years. As a dancer, I have faced the stage, lights, audience, camera, and everything. I have attended a lot of dance programs, but gradually I realized that I am more into fashion and modeling rather than dancing.
Q3) Who are your biggest inspirations in the fashion or modeling world?
Debsudha: If I talk about modeling, I really get inspiration from Gigi Hadid, who is my icon forever. And if I come to fashion, it’s the biggest fashion designer, Sabyasachi Mukherjee. As a Bengali, I really feel proud to mention his name when it comes to fashion.
Q4) How do you manage your time between architecture studies and creating fashion content?
Debsudha: Being a student, I think time management is the biggest issue nowadays, but to make my parents proud and fulfill their dreams, I have to study and get my degree. On the other hand, I am following my passion to make myself happy. Making fashion content is not that easy, but I am trying my best to be the best.
Q5) You mentioned your parents are not fully supportive of a fashion career — how do you deal with that?
Debsudha: I told my parents before pursuing architecture that I wanted to get into a fashion career, but they were not that supportive just because they think the fashion industry is not a good place to build a career, and they want me to be an architect. But now, when I am already following their wish, beside that, I am continuing with my passion and eventually I am not telling them about all this content I am making or about the photoshoots and all. I think I am dealing in a healthy way rather than arguing with them.
Q6) How has social media helped you express yourself and build confidence?
Debsudha: Making content on social media helps to get connections in the fashion industry, it brings more opportunities, people from the whole world can connect with us, and also we can make money through that. So, this altogether helped me a lot.
Q7) What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue their passion but doesn’t have support from family or society?
Debsudha: The only advice I would give is please listen to your heart because you only get a chance to live once, so if it’s not now, then never. Believe in yourself; parents or society will definitely understand you someday.
Q8) Are you good at studies? How do you keep up with your college assignments while working on your fashion content?
Debsudha: Yes, I am good at studies. I regularly attend the classes, and after my college hours, whenever I get free time, I make my fashion content, and on weekends I go for shoots and all. I cope up with my assignments on weekdays usually.
Q9) What advice would you give to girls who want to become social media influencers?
Debsudha: Firstly, you have to be confident in front of the camera and start believing in yourself that you are capable of being an influencer. Secondly, you have to be creative and understand social media marketing — how it works and how to handle it nicely. Last but not least, just go for it; don’t think about what others are saying. People will say things no matter what you do, so if you love something, do it.
Q10) How do you plan your posts to keep your audience interested?
Debsudha: Whenever I make content, I usually go for the trending audios or hashtags, etc. Whenever I make any content, I try to keep a storyline and also make something that will engage the audience and keep them entertained.
Q11) What is your biggest realization in life so far?
Debsudha: My biggest realization is that life is a journey, not a race, and each moment is a valuable opportunity that won’t be repeated. Recognizing this encourages making conscious choices about how we spend our time and energy.
Q12) What is your definition of success?
Debsudha: I think “success is happiness.”
———–Thank You———