Bhanu believes that the hijab is never an obstacle for a woman with burning passion, and if a woman is free to show her body, she should be free to cover it as well. While Bhanu is not the only Muslim woman in the world of arm-wrestling and power lifting, she is yet to see another woman in the field who performs in a hijab.

“It is only after their names are announced that one realises that the contestant is a Muslim,” she said.

“I feel proud to wear the hijab, which is a part of my identity. It does not limit me in any way but gives me dignity and strength.” It took Bhanu just about two years to transform from being an ordinary dental student to a local celebrity, not just in her sleepy village here, but across Kerala. She has been selected three times as the strongest woman of the state by the Kerala State Powerlifting Association.

In the two years since she began her career, she has already won national medals in powerlifting and arm-wrestling, while also continuing her dental training. And be it in practice or in competitions, she always wears her hijab.

“In the initial days, men used to stare at me as I had my hijab on. But soon they realised that I was as serious as them in my workouts. Then all the eyes disappeared,” Bhanu said.

While she was always interested in sports, there were hardly any facilities available in her village. But that did not stop her. Every day after her dental classes, she used to travel 60 km by train to Kozhikode to a gymnasium.

“I used to return around 9 pm. Initially, it was tough, but I slowly gained the confidence to travel alone and, eventually, it became a part of my routine,” said the final year dental student Bhanu said that, but for her parents’ strong support, she would not have been able to achieve what she did.

“I hail from a very orthodox village here and my parents agreed to let me pursue my passion of bodybuilding.”

Today, Bhanu is an inspiration in her village for many other girls like her. After her success, the village has now got its own gym, which is frequented by women just as much as men.