{"id":448625,"date":"2025-01-17T11:22:09","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T17:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/?p=448625"},"modified":"2025-01-17T11:24:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T17:24:06","slug":"keerthana-kunnath-bodybuilders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2025\/01\/keerthana-kunnath-bodybuilders\/","title":{"rendered":"In Kerala, Keerthana Kunnath Photographs the Female Bodybuilders Defying Beauty Ideals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2485\" height=\"2012\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"an indian woman in a a small checked bandeau top and blue and white checked skirt shows off her large muscles in a squat\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-3.jpg 2485w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-3-640x518.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-3-960x777.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-3-768x622.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-3-1536x1244.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-3-2048x1658.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2485px) 100vw, 2485px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All images \u00a9 Keerthana Kunnath, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-2 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">In Kerala, Keerthana Kunnath Photographs the Female Bodybuilders Defying Beauty Ideals<\/h1>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2025-01-17T11:22:09-06:00\">January 17, 2025<\/time><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-photography\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/photography\/\" rel=\"tag\">Photography<\/a><a class=\"category-social-issues\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/social-issues\/\" rel=\"tag\">Social Issues<\/a><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-3 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\"><li style=\"color: #1c1e0d; \" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2025%2F01%2Fkeerthana-kunnath-bodybuilders%2F&#038;title=In%20Kerala%2C%20Keerthana%20Kunnath%20Photographs%20the%20Female%20Bodybuilders%20Defying%20Beauty%20Ideals\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\">\n\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 2C6.5 2 2 6.5 2 12c0 5 3.7 9.1 8.4 9.9v-7H7.9V12h2.5V9.8c0-2.5 1.5-3.9 3.8-3.9 1.1 0 2.2.2 2.2.2v2.5h-1.3c-1.2 0-1.6.8-1.6 1.6V12h2.8l-.4 2.9h-2.3v7C18.3 21.1 22 17 22 12c0-5.5-4.5-10-10-10z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \">\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d; \" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-pinterest has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2025%2F01%2Fkeerthana-kunnath-bodybuilders%2F&#038;description=In%20Kerala%2C%20Keerthana%20Kunnath%20Photographs%20the%20Female%20Bodybuilders%20Defying%20Beauty%20Ideals&#038;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F01%2Fkeerthana-3-960x777.jpg\" aria-label=\"Pin\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\">\n\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12.289,2C6.617,2,3.606,5.648,3.606,9.622c0,1.846,1.025,4.146,2.666,4.878c0.25,0.111,0.381,0.063,0.439-0.169 c0.044-0.175,0.267-1.029,0.365-1.428c0.032-0.128,0.017-0.237-0.091-0.362C6.445,11.911,6.01,10.75,6.01,9.668 c0-2.777,2.194-5.464,5.933-5.464c3.23,0,5.49,2.108,5.49,5.122c0,3.407-1.794,5.768-4.13,5.768c-1.291,0-2.257-1.021-1.948-2.277 c0.372-1.495,1.089-3.112,1.089-4.191c0-0.967-0.542-1.775-1.663-1.775c-1.319,0-2.379,1.309-2.379,3.059 c0,1.115,0.394,1.869,0.394,1.869s-1.302,5.279-1.54,6.261c-0.405,1.666,0.053,4.368,0.094,4.604 c0.021,0.126,0.167,0.169,0.25,0.063c0.129-0.165,1.699-2.419,2.142-4.051c0.158-0.59,0.817-2.995,0.817-2.995 c0.43,0.784,1.681,1.446,3.013,1.446c3.963,0,6.822-3.494,6.822-7.833C20.394,5.112,16.849,2,12.289,2\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \">\n\t\t\tPin\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d; \" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"mailto:?subject=In%20Kerala%2C%20Keerthana%20Kunnath%20Photographs%20the%20Female%20Bodybuilders%20Defying%20Beauty%20Ideals&#038;body=In%20Kerala%2C%20Keerthana%20Kunnath%20Photographs%20the%20Female%20Bodybuilders%20Defying%20Beauty%20Ideals%20&mdash;%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2025%2F01%2Fkeerthana-kunnath-bodybuilders%2F\" aria-label=\"Email\"  class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\">\n\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M20,4H4C2.895,4,2,4.895,2,6v12c0,1.105,0.895,2,2,2h16c1.105,0,2-0.895,2-2V6C22,4.895,21.105,4,20,4z M20,8.236l-8,4.882 L4,8.236V6h16V8.236z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \">\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"448625\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"1\" style=\"\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\" style=\"\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many sports, men have typically dominated the world of bodybuilding, but for a small group of women in India, lifting weights and chiseling their bodies subverts more than athletic competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In an ongoing series of images titled <em>Not What You Saw<\/em>, photographer <a href=\"https:\/\/keerthanakunnath.info\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Keerthana Kunnath<\/a> documents a burgeoning community of female bodybuilders in Kerala. Set against common backdrops like beaches, the outside of a traditional Indian home, and lush, green foliage, the collection highlights an alternative vision of beauty grounded in immense female power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_14-960x1200.jpg\" alt=\"an indian woman in tight shorts and tank top stands atop a fish and flexes\" class=\"wp-image-448629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_14-960x1200.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_14-640x800.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_14-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_14-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_14.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Since starting the series, Kunnath has met about a dozen women participating in the sport. Her first encounter, though, was with the popular athlete and trainer Arathy Krishna, who she came across while researching the Indian marital art known as <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kalaripayattu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kalari<\/a>. This led the photographer to a small group of women bodybuilders scattered throughout the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;My initial meeting was through social\u00a0media and through some fitness coaches who train some of these girls,&#8221; Kunnath adds. &#8220;I later started going to the competitions to support (them)\u00a0and also to meet more bodybuilders.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <em>Not What You Saw<\/em>, broad, athletic shoulders and thighs bulging with muscle are juxtaposed with more traditional garments and gauzy, feminine fabrics chosen in collaboration with stylist Elton John. Beauty ideals have often centered on slim bodies, light skin, and long hair in India, and as Kunnath explained to <a href=\"https:\/\/wepresent.wetransfer.com\/stories\/keerthana-kunnath-photography-not-what-you-saw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WePresent<\/a> last year, challenging stereotypes and defying gendered expectations has wide-ranging implications for those pursuing the sport. She says: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Many of them come from families who cannot or do not support their interest in the sport due to societal constraints or financial worries. They have to regularly work around the complex physical and emotional aspect of building\u00a0 and maintaining their physique, while fighting the deeply ingrained expectations of how a \u2018woman\u2019 should look and what they can pursue as a \u2018respectable career.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Posed flexing their biceps and accentuating their impeccably sculpted forms, the women exude not only strength and pride but also joy. Shining light on a wider range of experiences is a key element of Kunnath&#8217;s practice, which often hones in on under-represented communities and those defying norms, particularly throughout southern Asia.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1222\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-1-960x1222.jpg\" alt=\"a black and white image of an arm with bangles flexing\" class=\"wp-image-448659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-1-960x1222.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-1-640x815.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-1-768x978.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-1-1207x1536.jpg 1207w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-1.jpg 1257w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently working between London and India, Kunnath will show her work next month at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-houseofphotography.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fuji&#8217;s House of Photography<\/a> in London and the <a href=\"https:\/\/rps.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Royal Photographic Society<\/a> in Bristol. Follow her latest projects, including additions to <em>Not What You Saw<\/em> and a new series devoted to her grandmother, on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kee_kunnath\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1147\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_7-960x1147.jpg\" alt=\"an indian woman in a green dress with large muscles squats down to flex her muscles in front of lush greenery\" class=\"wp-image-448626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_7-960x1147.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_7-640x765.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_7-768x918.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_7-1285x1536.jpg 1285w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_7.jpg 1339w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1147\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_13-960x1147.jpg\" alt=\"an indian woman in a skirt and tight black tank top flexes her arms on a beach\" class=\"wp-image-448628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_13-960x1147.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_13-640x765.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_13-768x918.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_13-1285x1536.jpg 1285w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_13.jpg 1339w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1184\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_6-960x1184.jpg\" alt=\"an indian woman in a green dress with large muscles stands wiht her hands on her hips\" class=\"wp-image-448633\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_6-960x1184.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_6-640x790.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_6-768x947.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_6-1245x1536.jpg 1245w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_6.jpg 1297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1168\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_15-960x1168.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-448630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_15-960x1168.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_15-640x779.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_15-768x934.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_15-1262x1536.jpg 1262w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Keerthana_Notwhatyousaw_15.jpg 1315w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1197\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-2-960x1197.jpg\" alt=\"a tattooed arm holds up a fist\" class=\"wp-image-448660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-2-960x1197.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-2-640x798.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-2-768x958.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-2-1232x1536.jpg 1232w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/keerthana-2.jpg 1283w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In &#8216;Not What You Saw,&#8217; photographer Keerthana Kunnath documents a burgeoning community of female bodybuilders in Kerala.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":291,"featured_media":448676,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[496,3099],"tags":[631,3635,409,123],"class_list":["post-448625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-photography","category-social-issues","tag-india","tag-keerthana-kunnath","tag-portraits","tag-sports"],"acf":{"acf_sponsor_post":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>In Kerala, Keerthana Kunnath Photographs the Female Bodybuilders Defying Beauty Ideals &#8212; Colossal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2025\/01\/keerthana-kunnath-bodybuilders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In Kerala, Keerthana Kunnath Photographs the Female Bodybuilders Defying Beauty Ideals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In &#039;Not What You Saw,&#039; 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