![]() ![]() But I’d love to reach out to Indian craftspersons and those who make traditional garments so that I can channel those identities. Like, my shoes were just plain velvet and I got them studded. This whole look (I am wearing) with the blazer and dhoti-pants, is sourced and designed by me. Right now I get things done on my own, because this movement hasn’t gained that much leverage yet. I’d like to explore these intricacies of couture in India. Nowhere will you see men being so expressive about themselves through their clothes than in India. Men in India wear such colourful and flamboyant garments like the beautiful turbans and puff-sleeved kurtas worn by men in Rajasthan. But the cultures in India and the costumes that we have can be hugely explored in drag. ![]() What made you take an Indian route to dressing up?ĭrag is always seen as a very Western concept. I got her as well as a few other friends to come for the shoot, and together we came up with the look.Ĭostume is integral to the drag experience. My girlfriend, who is a fashion designer (she also features in the photo project) pushed me into it. I thought of drag as a way of channelling my inner masculinity. Today, there are a lot of drag queens in India, but hardly any drag kings-I myself knew only one. ![]() But I don’t think women dressing up as men are celebrated as much. In India, there are many instances of men dressing up as women which have been prevalent for a long time. I’ve always been interested in drag-I watched RuPaul’s (television series) Drag Race and things like that. What is your earliest memory of watching drag and how did the Desi Drag Kings project come about? On a recent trip to Delhi for a performance at Kitty Su at The Lalit Hotel, Mumbai-based Mohanta spoke to Lounge on the potential of drag in India to start a social movement. Bidisha Mohanta, 21, who goes by the stage-name Badshah Mayur, is the founder of Desi Drag Kings, an initiative that aims to spotlight the community with photo projects on Instagram) and drag performances. In India, the idea of male impersonators is even less known and explored only sporadically like Tape: The Gentlemen’s Club aka Tape, a 2015 production by The Patchworks Ensemble, a Mumbai-based theatre group. Drag kings haven’t found the same popularity or media representation, and have only started coming into focus in recent decades with figures like comedian Murray Hill and model and activist Rain Dove. Drag is commonly associated with queens-men dressing up in elaborate women’s costumes-but the community also includes women who dress up in men’s costumes. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |