India's Queens: Why Drag Performances Are Not Just For The Queer

Starting from the appropriate wig to choosing the right heels, building each costume and perfecting the makeup, “it takes a village to build a drag queen,” said Alex Thomas aka Maya the drag queen. But when Thomas started doing drag eight years ago, he did not know how to transform himself into Maya. 

“I did not have access to heels or a wig but I knew that I had to start somewhere, so I started borrowing things from my friends,” he added. While one friend gave him eyeshadow, kajal and lipstick, another gave him her half-inch heels. His first saree as a drag queen came from his mother. “My mother was very hesitant but she still gave it to me,” he said. The only thing left was the wig, so he went to a store and bought a six hundred rupees wig. 

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After his friend tied his saree and did his makeup, Thomas was ready to go be a drag queen. “But I still did not know how to do it,” he said. When he stepped on the stage for the first time, people started reacting. “I could see that they are not accepting of my feminine side,” added Thomas. “But I still gathered confidence and performed. First I sang a Malayalam song and then danced on “Kajra re” from the movie Bunty and Babli. That’s how the then 25-year-old started his drag journey. 

With thousands of followers on Instagram today and more than 100 drag performances under his belt, Maya the drag queen has become one of the most popular drag queens in India. “Every time I feel like I am done, I don’t want to do this anymore, a queer person will come to me and tell me that I am their inspiration,” and so Thomas continues to do what he does. “I never had anyone to look up to when I was young so today I do it for the younger queer generation.”

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“Drag is a type of entertainment where people dress up and perform, often in highly stylised ways. The term originated as British theatre slang in the 19th century and was used to describe women’s clothing worn by men,” according to the National Centre of Transgender Equality,” 

The NCTE also clarifies, “Today, many prominent drag artists are still people who identify as men and present themselves in exaggeratedly feminine ways as part of their performance, and are known as drag queens. While some drag queens live their lives as men outside their drag personae, people of any gender can be drag queens.” In addition to that, “as part of their performance, many drag queens have a separate drag persona in addition to the self they live as every day. This persona will of course look different, but may also have a different name and ask to be referred to by different gender pronouns.”

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Recently, Sushant Divgikar, a model and TV star came out as gender fluid and transgender on social media. “But it was drag that helped me understand my gender identity,” he said. The 2014 'Mr Gay World India' did his first performance as a drag artist in a theatre production. “While doing drag, I realised that performers do not need to have boundaries,” he said. “They can challenge gender stereotypes,” he added. Before that, according to him, he always felt the pressure to be either masculine or feminine. “But what if I am both and what if I am neither,” the actor-singer said. 

Divgikar created his drag avatar Rani Kohenur in 2016 with the aim of breaking gender norms and helping those like him who were struggling with their gender identity. “I wanted to create a character that was larger than life but also relatable,” he said. “Rani is a people’s queen,” he added.

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“Drag performers are not necessarily transgender individuals. They do not always keep the names or pronouns they use while performing. On the other hand, when a transgender person comes out and asks people to use a different name and different gender pronouns to refer to them, it is not part of a performance. It is an important part of their identity, and can be a critical part of affirming their gender identity,” NCTE further clarifies.

“Don’t assume that someone in drag is transgender or vice versa. It can be hurtful to refer to a transgender person’s presentation as drag because it suggests that their deeply held identity is just a show they are putting on—which is untrue.”

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With a massive following, drag has become very competitive in India, says artist Hiten Noonwal. “These days it is not just enough to give a message through your performance. You should know how to talk, say thanks, do your makeup and style your costume,” he said. Presentation in drag performances comes above everything. “That is why I have started making my own costumes,” said Noonwal. “I also make my own headgear because it is competitive and I want to stand out,” he said. The 29-year-old also does not have a specific drag name like other drag queens. Each of his characters has a name and life of its own. 

“A younger generation of drag queens also needs to find their own style and look,” said Noonwal. “Just claiming you are a drag queen is not enough. Drag is an art form and you need to do your research,” he added. 

With an increasing number of drag performers in India, there are many new challenges. “You cannot sustain yourself by just doing drag, you will have to do something else also,” said Aayushman aka Lush Monsoon. “Drag shows only happen in metro cities and to live here is not easy,” they added. India also does not have enough venues and too many people competing for them. “We have to make drag more than a subculture for queer people and bring it to the mainstream so that artists can benefit monetarily,” said the drag artist who is also a human rights lawyer. “We should be in films, ads, as well as the design industry,” he added.