With a massive following, drag has become very competitive in India. Budding and veteran artists talk about the challenges they faced in their quest to become India's top drag queens and the future of the art of drag.
Starting from the appropriate wig to choosing the right heels, building each costume and perfecting the makeup, 바카라it takes a village to build a drag queen,바카라 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.
바카라I 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,바카라 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. 바카라My mother was very hesitant but she still gave it to me,바카라 he said. The only thing left was the wig, so he went to a store and bought a six hundred rupees wig.
After his friend tied his saree and did his makeup, Thomas was ready to go be a drag queen. 바카라But I still did not know how to do it,바카라 he said. When he stepped on the stage for the first time, people started reacting. 바카라I could see that they are not accepting of my feminine side,바카라 added Thomas. 바카라But I still gathered confidence and performed. First I sang a Malayalam song and then danced on 바카라Kajra re바카라 from the movie Bunty and Babli. That바카라s 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. 바카라Every time I feel like I am done, I don바카라t want to do this anymore, a queer person will come to me and tell me that I am their inspiration,바카라 and so Thomas continues to do what he does. 바카라I never had anyone to look up to when I was young so today I do it for the younger queer generation.바카라
바카라Drag 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 women바카라s clothing worn by men,바카라 according to the National Centre of Transgender Equality,바카라
The NCTE also clarifies, 바카라Today, 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.바카라 In addition to that, 바카라as 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.바카라
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Recently, Sushant Divgikar, a model and TV star came out as gender fluid and transgender on social media. 바카라But it was drag that helped me understand my gender identity,바카라 he said. The 2014 'Mr Gay World India' did his first performance as a drag artist in a theatre production. 바카라While doing drag, I realised that performers do not need to have boundaries,바카라 he said. 바카라They can challenge gender stereotypes,바카라 he added. Before that, according to him, he always felt the pressure to be either masculine or feminine. 바카라But what if I am both and what if I am neither,바카라 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. 바카라I wanted to create a character that was larger than life but also relatable,바카라 he said. 바카라Rani is a people바카라s queen,바카라 he added.
바카라Drag 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,바카라 NCTE further clarifies.
바카라Don바카라t assume that someone in drag is transgender or vice versa. It can be hurtful to refer to a transgender person바카라s presentation as drag because it suggests that their deeply held identity is just a show they are putting on바카라which is untrue.바카라
With a massive following, drag has become very competitive in India, says artist Hiten Noonwal. 바카라These 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,바카라 he said. Presentation in drag performances comes above everything. 바카라That is why I have started making my own costumes,바카라 said Noonwal. 바카라I also make my own headgear because it is competitive and I want to stand out,바카라 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.
바카라A younger generation of drag queens also needs to find their own style and look,바카라 said Noonwal. 바카라Just claiming you are a drag queen is not enough. Drag is an art form and you need to do your research,바카라 he added.
With an increasing number of drag performers in India, there are many new challenges. 바카라You cannot sustain yourself by just doing drag, you will have to do something else also,바카라 said Aayushman aka Lush Monsoon. 바카라Drag shows only happen in metro cities and to live here is not easy,바카라 they added. India also does not have enough venues and too many people competing for them. 바카라We have to make drag more than a subculture for queer people and bring it to the mainstream so that artists can benefit monetarily,바카라 said the drag artist who is also a human rights lawyer. 바카라We should be in films, ads, as well as the design industry,바카라 he added.