Football Stars Of Sonagachi | 101 Heartland

Meet the children of sex workers who represent India at international football tournaments.

Ismail Sardar and Sonu Kundu are the children of sex workers in Sonagachi, Asia's largest red-light district, which is in Kolkata. Bisvajeet Majumdar, sports co-ordinator and football coach at nearby Durbar Sports Academy, noticed their natural aptitude for football, and managed to convince their mothers to let them pursue the sport. Today, Ismail and Sonu represent India on the international stage, playing for India's U-16 football team. Their talent has taken them from the red-light district to football fields across the world!

Outside the metros and beyond the urban jungle live the sons and daughters of India’s heartland. This series tells their stories. 101 Heartland celebrates both unique communities and individual tales of hope, struggle, and reform. From the village of Bouncers just outside Delhi to the fascinating story of Ram Kumar Tyagi, once a wanted man but now a coach for aspiring female wrestlers, 101 Heartland tells stories for the heart, from the heartland.