Vimal grew up in the small beach village of Kattoor in Kerala, raised by his father, a bus conductor, and his mother, a kindergarten teacher. As an only child, he spent most of his time at home and keeping to himself. A shy teenager, Vimal struggled with speaking in front of others and avoided social interactions.

At 16, everything changed when a new friend introduced him to the Kalari martial arts center. Kalari is the martial art in Kerala. His friend promised that training would bring balance and transformation, so Vimal decided to give it a try during his school holidays. However, the journey was tough. The yoga teacher at the centre was strict, and Vimal’s struggles with his weight led to bullying from the other students, which made him doubt himself. After a few days, he quit.

But Vimal couldn’t let go of the spark he’d felt. Five days later, he began practicing yoga at home, using a bedsheet on the sand as his mat. Slowly, his body grew stronger, and he became more confident. He started going back to the centre. One year later the yoga teacher returned for a martial arts performance. He saw Vimal’s progress and was very proud. The teacher offered him daily one-hour yoga sessions at his home.