Drag for a difference

Drag artists in Hyderabad, unlike in other cities, use their art to aid city's robust activism around LGBTQ issues

Hyderabad: For some, it is an avenue to explore their sexuality and for others, it is a staunch political statement. Whatever may be the motivation, drag artists of the city have exalted the art form in less than no time.

The genesis of drag in Hyderabad dates back to June 2019, when a bunch of like-minded queer artists came together to put up the first-ever drag show in Telugu states.

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While the organisers were expecting some 30-odd people to be in attendance, by the end of the event the venue was jam-packed.

“Hyderabad’s drag scene is very different from that of Bombay or any other city. Drag in other cities has that party vibe. But here it is used to create awareness,” says Patruni Chidananda Sastry, one of the first drag queens in the city who goes by the stage name SAS.

Drag artists here use their art to aid the city’s robust activism around LGBTQ issues. Sastry in collaboration with Mobbera Foundation and the State government took to the streets in their drag avatar to spread awareness about AIDS. Over the years, every event involving the queer community of the city has seen a vibrant drag performance.

It is this very confluence of art with activism that prompts Anil aka Savithri, a gender-non-conforming drag queen to see their performances as a form of protest.

“I have a beard, a mustache and I wear a saree. Through my drag performances I try to establish that clothes have no gender and essentially that everyone should be free to wear whatever they want,” remarks Savithri.

Another aspect that sets apart Hyderabad drag scene from other cities is that the performers are exceptionally body positive. Here, drag queens do not shy away from their body hair, and most performers do not fit into the beauty standards of society.

Although drag is a loved art form in the LGBTQ community, performers battle negative comments. “Performing drag has given me the confidence to accept myself. But it is not to say that there is no criticism. The best I can do is take the positive and leave the rest,” says a 21-year-old transgender Anisha Naidu who is one of the youngest drag queens in the city.

Criticism is a part of their drag journey, say these pioneers of drag in Hyderabad who found ways to channel their anguish into their performances. And are battling the stigma surrounding their community, one performance at a time.

What is drag?

It is a performance art form linked to queerness and often includes makeup, hair, dramatic outfits, music, and dance. Although drag usually involves cross-dressing, it is not the norm. A drag queen is someone who performs femininity and a drag king is someone who performs masculinity.