As he presents his track with Grag Queen, queer artiste Sushant Divgikar says sensitisation programmes for his community is need of the hour
Sushant Divgikar
It was in 2021, during their time spent as contestants on the drag queen singing reality show, Queen of the Universe, that Sushant Divgikar first met Grag Queen. The duo, who “are very similar in many ways”, instantly hit it off, and made a pact to collaborate when the show concluded. Their latest release, Brazindia, says Divgikar is an effort to “keep our word”.
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“On the [Graham Norton-hosted] show, we became best friends. The idea behind this track is to show that Brazil and India have a lot in common — we celebrate and respect our cultures. We also wanted to showcase the [drag culture] in both countries. In this track, she, [being a Brazilian artiste] wears Indian outfits, such as lehengas. And I wear Brazilian outfits, which are performance-based.” Celebrating their sisterhood in the offering, Divgikar, who goes by the name Rani Ko-He-Nur, wanted to showcase a different aspect of the drag culture. “We wanted to show that drag isn’t all about being bitchy and catty, but it can also be about the beautiful sisterhood that we have. We also had a special appearance from the legendary drag queen, Manila Luzon. Sharing screen space with Grag Queen is fantastic. We plan to present more stuff.”
Divgikar, who gained fame among the masses after his stint on the eight season of Bigg Boss, has been among the most prominent faces of the Indian queer community. But even though he has spent 16 years in the entertainment industry, he admits that significant change for the betterment of the trans-gender community hasn’t come about.
Watch Video: Sushant Divgikar bares it all
“There are more artistes coming forward today, but, not much has changed when one considers how we are perceived. Why can’t we simply be referred to as artistes instead of ‘queer artistes’? I don’t see enough representation in mainstream [media] either. Why do cis-gender men and women play trans-gender roles when we [could] get the chance to play ourselves? I see so many talented artistes who belong to the queer community, but they don’t get the time of day.”
He questions that if an artiste like him, who has spent close to two decades in the industry, must fight for essentials like equal pay, receiving payment on time, and substantial work, he can only wonder what the plight of new queer artiste would be. “We should not need to fight so hard. If I can be celebrated on several global platforms, and have billboards with my face on them on Times Square, why can’t I be [celebrated] here? When we go abroad, we are celebrated for representing our country.”
Pointing out that several trans-gender individuals are forced into sex work because of society’s inability to give them enough opportunities, he says government-backed sensitisation programmes are the need of the hour. “It is time for people to let go of the notion that we are less than, only because we come from this community. People from the queer community are fighting for basic things in the largest democracy of the world. This is dichotomous and questionable.”
On Divgikar’s plate is his new podcast series, Jan Gan Man, created with the aim of enabling listeners to reconsider the meaning of “azadi”. “It is my effort to look at our freedom fighters in a more humane way.”
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