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  • 2 days ago
Strobe lights, sequin curtains, and hours in makeup — India’s drag performers bring more than glamour to the stage.

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Transcript
00:00I'm behind-the-scenes BTS.
00:03The hardest part of drag is not being able to pee or blow your nose when you want to.
00:08We have never been to a drag show.
00:10So we are taking you along too.
00:18There were strobe lights.
00:19Okay, let's go.
00:21Sequin curtains.
00:24And someone in a wig adjusting their lashes like they were born with them.
00:30A drag performance is where you see us getting into our fabulous avatars.
00:34It's scripted storytelling.
00:36But wait, what's up with that accent?
00:38Because once you're in this get-up in Babish, you access some other part of your personality.
00:45B****!
00:46You dare!
00:47So it's not always on purpose, but yes, you will definitely see a shift in our characters,
00:52in the way we speak, in the adha that we display.
00:55Still, some people don't see it as a respectable profession.
00:58Who is saying that?
01:00Tell me to meet, meet me.
01:02Tell them to meet me like after the show.
01:04It's a lot of makeup.
01:05It's a lot of undergarments.
01:06It's really hot.
01:07It's really sweaty.
01:08So I think that drag is not an endurance sport.
01:12So being in those heels for eight plus hours is quite crazy.
01:15By the way, drag drag drag drag.
01:18This term is said to have come from 19th century theatre in Britain, when men dressed as women
01:23in long gowns that literally dragged across the floor.
01:26So stagehands started calling it drag.
01:29Rehearsals are too much.
01:31That's the most popular theory.
01:33But over time, the word found its way into queer spaces.
01:38Possibly through Pallari, a secret slang once used by LGBTQ plus communities in Britain
01:44to speak freely while staying safe.
01:46Today, a drag queen usually performs exaggerated femininity.
01:50A drag gang does the same with masculinity.
01:53Very Oyama.
01:54But what made us curious is how they learn all this.
01:57Is there like a drag school?
01:59I make up what you see right now.
02:00It's eye copy from somebody else.
02:03The lips I tend to inspire by some other drag queens.
02:06So we all learn together only.
02:07That's how we grow and we're still together.
02:10It's everybody taking tricks from each other.
02:12And with that, if you've never been to a drag show, now you kinda have.
02:16Next time, come scream in the front row.
02:25Because we are amuring in this film.
02:26It's walking out.
02:27We really don't understand how to move.
02:28We don't necessarily stand any further.
02:30We are always okay.
02:31We're always okay.
02:32We will be right back.
02:35We're sorry.
02:36We're not okay.
02:37We're not sure.
02:38We're not okay.
02:39We're not okay.
02:40We are okay.
02:41We're okay.
02:42We're not okay.
02:43We're okay.
02:44We're here.
02:45We're okay.
02:46It's okay.
02:47We're okay.
02:48You're okay.
02:49Okay.
02:51But what I know?

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