Kiran Dembla continues to fight the stereotypes against feminine muscularity

Kiran Dembla wants to change the societal misconceptions and norms about muscularity in women not being perceived as feminine.

Bodybuilding and hardcore fitness are two words that are associated most often with men, especially in a country in India where women’s muscularity and physical transformation are still viewed as taboo. Over the years, many women bodybuilders and fitness trainers have opted to go against the tide and inspire others. That is also the case with Kiran Dembla who was a housewife with two children and had no aspirations or ambitions in life when she began.

She was unfortunately diagnosed with clots in her brain after having her second child. During the course of the treatment, she experienced a lot of pain and the medicines ended up making her lazy and overweight.

“I had no idea what I was doing with my life, it was almost as if I had done nothing with my life by the time I aged 30 years. I was obese, weighing 75 kg and it looked like nothing similar to the time I was in college. In the process of looking after the family, I had somehow lost myself.

“I used to look at myself in the mirror and feel bad about what I had done to my body. It affected my self-image and confidence greatly. I felt very demotivated. I decided to do something about my condition.”

That was when in 2007 when Dembla began taking a stronger interest in her fitness and started swimming in order to lose weight after she had gained 24 kgs during the course of her treatment.

“Initially, I started swimming. I thought it was the best way to lose weight, but swimming did not work for me. Later, I switched to gymming and yoga. At 5 am, I started going to the gym and worked hard. In the following 6-7 months, I lost 24 kilograms. My achievement made me feel good, and it was a huge boost to my self-confidence,” she said.

She pursued a course in gym training a year later and began her journey as a gym instructor in Begumpet. Four years later, Dembla went on an extremely strict diet and exercise regime to make her dream come true of building an eight-pack abs.

In 2013, she made up her mind to participate in the World Bodybuilding Championship. However, that presented with itself a new challenge as she was required to take part in a bikini, which is, once again, something that is looked down upon in Indian society.

“The initial years when I started off were difficult. The most important thing is that I am a daughter-in-law, but a mother above everything. And it is a real challenge for any mother to wear a bikini. I checked with my husband and tried to convince him into letting me participate in the event, but he refused. He did not say a word. But, I had become stubborn.”

She went on to finish sixth in the competition and won the title of the most beautiful body.

Since then, Kiran Dembla continues her fight against the existing stereotypes against muscularity in women and how being muscular is somehow perceived as not being feminine.

“I want to make women understand that if they put their mind into anything, they can definitely conquer it. We, women, have the power to make an impact. I am astounded by a common criticism about women bodybuilders, that they are not possibly feminine. But tell me, how do you even measure femininity? If they think that the only condition to be masculine is to look muscular, they are wrong. Femininity is being a woman, simply a woman, and that’s the end of it.

“Indian society has often relished a particular image of what it actually means to be feminine. Of course, there were people who commented on my biceps while judging me for the kind of clothes I wear. They would always say, ‘You look too manly!’ But if you ask me, it is a compliment. If being curvy and feeling strong from inside is considered manly, I’ll instead take pleasure in it. Because bodybuilding makes me feel genuinely confident and beautiful, besides making me feel powerful.”

If a mother of two who felt lost at one point in her life can completely transform herself both physically and mentally and not only become a gym trainer but also climb Mount Everest five times, perform as a music DJ and also become a natural photographer, then anyone can achieve anything.