Woman bouncer pulls no punches in Indian capital

NEW DELHI - 14 July 2017: Joking with clients and colleagues, Mehrunnisha Shokat Ali might be mistaken for any other patron of the Social watering hole in the Indian capital's swanky Hauz Khas neighborhood.

But the intent gaze of her kohl-rimmed eyes, as she stands with arms folded on the edge of the dancefloor in an all-black outfit, watching couples bob and twirl to the music, gives away her real occupation.

She is Social's famous female bouncer.

Mehrunnisha has been a bouncer for nearly a decade, and for the last three years, has done 10-hour night shifts at Social, which functions as a restaurant and co-working space seating 220 people by day, but morphs into a packed club at night.

Now Mehrunnisha is expert in breaking up bar fights, frisking female customers, and uncovering illegal drugs.

"We decided to employ women to make sure that women customers too felt safe, and we found a great match in Mehrunnisha," said Social's owner Riyaaz Amlani, who says she helped has defuse innumerable alcohol-fuelled quarrels.

"She was fierce and determined, and the rest is history."

The 30-year-old's career highlights include being part of the security detail for Bollywood actresses such as Priyanka Chopra, the star of the U.S. television drama series "Quantico", Preity Zinta and Vidya Balan.

Mehrunnisha is no stranger to smashing stereotypes.

Growing up in a large Muslim family in the northern farming town of Saharanpur, 200 km (124 miles) from Delhi, she dreamed of joining the army or becoming a police officer, but her deeply conservative father opposed the idea.