Queens

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‘Queens’ emerged as a photo documentation of the physical and psychic transformation that Indian drag performers Ayushman, Ikshaku and Prateek undergo before their performances on the stage. While in the day they fulfil their gendered role of being ‘men’, at night, they perform drag and are famously known as the ‘Drag Queens of India’. Popularized in India by Rupaul’s reality TV show “Drag Race” in 2009, my photographs are a commentary on the Drag renaissance that followed. Upon adorning layers of make-up with strong contours, shimmery bright-coloured attires, red and blonde wigs and high heeled sandals, these performers take on the role of their feminine counterparts Lush, Kush and Betta respectively. Their bold performances, besides providing entertainment and bending the notions of gender, act as a means of self- exploration and therapy for the performers.