“When I began my career in theatre, my family wasn’t very accepting. They wanted me to be a Chartered Accountant. But I loved acting and theatre. I borrowed money from friends and paid for workshops in Hyderabad. After one of the rather long courses, my family wanted me back home in West Godavari. They asked me to quit theatre. But I was very determined and focused. I felt like they didn’t trust me with my skills and abilities. It’s around that time when I started exploring Drag Performance Art. Many people think that it’s a new concept that we’re adapting from the West. According to history, although it was associated with different names, many men would dress as women to play female characters in theatre. I’m talking about Shakespearean era of theatre. More than proving my acting skills, I’ve always also wanted to break the stereotypes of masculinity that exists in our society. It’s so much about having a huge body and being a certain way to be accepted. In reality, nothing of that should matter. That’s not a standard to judge anybody. I use Drag as an art medium to represent a dichotomy between masculinity and femininity. My first play was in the Queer Carnival in Lamakaan and it was received with a lot of love and appreciation. Since then, I’ve been trying to play different roles. In the Drag Community, I’m called Silk, owing to my inspiration from Silk Smita’s life and The Dirty Picture film.
When my parents saw my performance later, they were much more accepting. By then, they had understood my love for theatre and all the hard work I put in. Earlier when I had first joined Samahara Theatre Group, things at home were different. They weren’t very supportive of my passion for acting. However, with time, they understood me and let me be. Of course, I received comments from people about what I do. But I don’t take any of it seriously. I’m a supporter of LGBTQIA rights and I try to do my bit in making the world a better place for everybody.
People have asked me to stay out of ‘these communities’ because it might affect my theatre and acting career. If I cared about what others said, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today. I know what I want and I absolutely love what I do. So, I’m going to continue working towards my dream career in acting.”
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