A typical dangal (a village wrestling fair) is where the men gather around to fight each other while the women enjoy themselves by standing and watching. A typical scene where women and men do what stereotypes ask them to do. But that’s not the case with Divya Kakran, a 17-year-old female wrestler, who is defying these stereotypes.
Now the dangal has other girl wrestlers as well, but the difference between them and Divya is that after Divya has defeated the other girls, she wrestles with the men as well.
Hailing from the narrow lanes of Gokulpur, a working-class neighbourhood in east Delhi, Divya stays in a cramped apartment with her parents and siblings. Money is tight but the 17-year-old is participating in many dangals across the country to ensure that she wins and brings home some money. Several generations in her family have been wrestling in the past including her father, and Divya is taking the legacy forward. In fact, it was her father who started training her, when she was a child.
So since 2010 Divya has been accompanying her father to such dangals all over the country and has been fighting girls and boys alike. She makes a lot of money. More than the win money, it is the tips from people which makes it even better.
Watch this India Express video to know more about Divya.
