Growing up in Kuala Lumpur, a young girl named Normazlina dreamed of stepping onto international runways. People called her Dolly Gurdev, a name that would one day echo through studios, backstage halls, and casting rooms. With Punjabi and Bengali heritage shaping her identity, she grew up surrounded by culture, language, and a sense of belonging that never fit into just one box. English became her first voice to the world, but her roots taught her how to stand tall.
As Dolly grew older, modelling and education became the two lanes she refused to choose between. She rushed from casting calls to study sessions, from early morning shoots to late night assignments. While the world admired the glamour, few saw the discipline that held her journey together. She carried both dreams with grit and grace.
Her dedication paid off. Dolly graduated with excellent achievement in Creative Multimedia from YPC International College, in collaboration with Liverpool John Moores University in the UK. It was proof that beauty and brains do not belong on opposite ends—they thrive together when you fight for both.
On the runway, she turned heads. In the classroom, she met every goal she set. For Dolly, modelling was more than lights and cameras. It was a representation. It was pride. It was breaking boundaries for girls who looked like her, for those who came from mixed cultures, and for anyone told they had to pick just one dream.
Today, Dolly Gurdev stands as a role model for young women who carry more than one identity and more than one ambition. She shows them that success is not about choosing a single path. It is about walking every path with confidence, purpose, and heart.