For the first time in Hyderabad, more than eight drag queens and drag king came together to perform, as they were cheered on by the local crowd. On May 15, 2022, Dragvanti, a platform for drag artists in India, in association with the Mobbera Foundation, organised the “Hyderabad Drag Fest”, the second edition of the Hyderabad Drag Con (2019).
After a gap of two years due to the pandemic, the Hyderabad Drag Fest was celebrated with glitter and glam at the co-working space of WeWork.
Curated and ideated By Patruni Sastry, a Hyderabad based local drag queen the event foreseen wonderful performance and conversation. The event started with a music performance by Shiva from the The Nation’s Rock Beat followed by an opening act by the curator.
Patruni presented a drag persona which looked like a woman from one side and a man from the other, in a performance titled “Twist”. The drag was inspired by the Rajasthani folk form Maskat Naachi. He performed on nostalgic songs of ’80s and ’90s and made the audience interact with wit and moves.
Yuveena Sarai, a Vishakhapatnam based drag queen followed the first act. Yuveena, the oldest Drag performer in the lot, gave a run for their money to all the younger drag queens with her performance on Amitabh Bachchan’s popular song “Apni Toh Jaise Taise”, giving everyone the Parveen Babies vibe.
The audience applauded and cheers while she delivered her performance. Following the act, was Odisha’s first drag queen Khemaya. Khemaya presented both Madhuri dixit to Lady Gaga vibe on stage.
Her opulent dress and significant splits left the audience gagged to the core. She served the core element of pageant drag and the audience applauded with tips.
Anil Sag, who goes with the name Nutty Savitri, performed a syndicating piece of Gangubai and Shikayat where she poured essence of mujra, with expression and poise, that made the audience wonder.
Following the act was a Kathak-infused performance by Smiitiin, a city based Kathak artist and drag performer. Smiitiin performed on the famous song of Umrao Jaan and rendered it with a classical touch.
His quint movements and swift performance transcended the audience to the Mudgal era. Both Anil and Smiitiin celebrated the idea of being the bearded brag queens of the evening and revoked the idea of embracing the masculinity of a beard with the tint of beauty.
Following the act was a wonderful performance By Shamna Sarai, who is Vishakhapatnam’s first drag queen. Shamna, in a bob cut look, presented a wonderful performance of Bollywood dance and glam. The audience loved her earthiness and cheered for the glam display.
The crowd burst into laughter and people started rolling on the floor. The show ended with a power pack performance by Cologne Doll. Cologne presented a western inspired Hollywood-like performance and entertained all the audience with wit and dragness.
The audience loved the aura of what Cologne served and applauded with praises. The event ended with a musical performance of trans man Nique and Nehal.
At the end of the event, Patruni thanked all the partners for being a partner. He also thanked we work organization for providing the space for queer individuals and asked the audience to support the drag culture in the city.
Patruni also thanked Vaibhav Modi who was the host of the event and promised the audience to create more such avenues to bring more focus on Drag scene in Hyderabad. The event ended with audience clicking selfies with the performers and conversations on the LBGT related small talks.