In the Lyari neighborhood of Karachi, Pakistan, boxing coach Younus Qambrani has been training girls in the sport, offering them self-defense skills and a path to achievement. This stands in stark contrast to the area's depiction in Bollywood films as a den of crime and violence.

Qambrani, 60, founded the Pak-Shaheen Boxing Club in 1992 and opened its doors to girls in 2013. His daughter Anum was the first female member and later won local championships. The club also trained Aliya Soomro, Pakistan's first woman to win a world boxing title.

Lyari residents resent the portrayal of their neighborhood in Bollywood blockbusters like "Dhurandhar" and its sequel, which they say exploit the area's history of gang violence for entertainment. Social anthropologist Adeem Suhail criticizes the films for their "heavy-handed homophobic, Islamophobic, hyper-masculine jingoism."

In reality, Lyari is a culturally rich area with a history dating back to 1728. It is known as "Mini Brazil" for its football passion and has produced hip-hop acts like Lyari Underground. The neighborhood was once plagued by gang wars, but a 2012 crackdown largely ended open conflict.

Qambrani sees boxing as a vital skill: "Whoever is prepared for war is prepared for peace," he says. He dreams of buying a portable boxing ring to take to schools, but lacks funding. Meanwhile, his young female boxers continue to train, proving Lyari's resilience beyond Bollywood's lens.

Source: www.aljazeera.com