“I was born into this world to be a boxer. I need no other partner in life.” Thulasi Ekanandam fled her home at fourteen to escape an arranged marriage to a much older man and follow her passion for boxing. But as a former Dalit, India’s “untouchable” caste, society demands she remain at the bottom—marry, have children, and obey a husband. Seeing marriage as a “jail life,” Thulasi refuses to compromise, trading in her sari and bangles for boxing gloves and headgear as part of a government program that offers jobs to young athletes. She trusts fighting in the ring will be her means of achieving independence (she ranks third in India in her weight class), but immoral coaches, expected favors, and physical injuries stand in her way—and at twenty-five, she’s about to age out of the program. Directors Beathe Hofseth and Susann Østigaard portray Thulasi’s struggles inside and outside the ring with a serene visual precision charged with sparks of humor and moments of despair that are beautifully reflective of Thulasi’s personality and plight. Inside the ring, she’s in control, but can Thulasi find her way in the world at large?  WFM