17 June,2026 09:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Rumani Gabhare
A still from the play Reshma and Rakhi. Pics courtesy/Sneha Murchavade
Does art possess gender? Lavani, Maharashtra's vibrant folk performance tradition known for its powerful poetry, rhythmic energy and unabashed exploration of desire, is a performing art that might challenge that question. Popularised in mainstream culture through films such as Natarang (2009), Lavani has long existed at the intersection of performance and sensuality.
Audiences join artistes onstage during a previous performance
To understand how this centuries-old tradition could be reimagined through a contemporary queer lens, this writer attended a rehearsal of Rang Birangi Lavani at a suburban venue. Performers Gauri Jadhav, Akshay Malvankar and Sopinath Patokar, along with directors Bhushan Korgaonkar and Kunal Vijaykar were readying for an upcoming show in Pune.
Excepts from the interview
How did the idea of exploring queerness through Lavani emerge?
Bhushan Korgaonkar: I have been engaging with traditional Lavani artistes for over 20 years, and wrote a book, Sangeet Bari (2014), which documented their lived experiences. Through this work, I realised that Lavani has always been an unapologetic expression of desire and sexuality. Queerness is not added to the form today; it has always existed within it. We first explored these ideas at the Serendipity Festival in 2018, Rang Birangi Lavani took shape when NCPA invited us to create an exclusive queer Lavani production in 2024.
(From left) Sopinath Patokar, Gauri Jadhav, and Akshay Malvankar rehearse a scene from the queer production, Rang Birangi Lavani, at a Vile Parle studio. PICS/RANE ASHISH
How has your research about Lavani artistes' lives influenced your approach towards this act?
BK: My research taught me that Lavani is far more than a performance tradition; it is a repository of human experiences. Rather than reinventing the form, Kunal and I wanted to build upon what already existed within it. We reinterpreted Lavani songs that aligned with the stories we wanted to tell, while also creating three original compositions.
One song follows a barber who falls in love with a customer. Another is a playful conversation between a transgender woman and her brother about make-up and self-expression. The third explores male desire through the perspective of a bold and fearless female lover.
Lavani has always celebrated intense emotions. How does it help bridge the gap between a queer story, while preserving its tradition?
BK: A queer story is ultimately a human story. We did not want identity alone to define characters. Instead, we wanted audiences to connect with them through their emotions, relationships and personal journeys. By focusing on these shared experiences, the production preserves the traditional soul of Lavani while making space for contemporary stories.
Sopinath Patokar and (right) Akshay Malvankar address their mutual feelings in a pivotal scene
Many people perceive Lavani only as a performance form, but it also carries histories of stigma and survival. How did you bring these lesser-known layers to the forefront?
BK: Lavani is often viewed through the lens of glamour and spectacle, but beneath that lies a history of resilience. Many traditional artistes have navigated lives within their own communities, and faced exclusion from society. These themes emerge throughout. While the production is humorous, it also reflects the courage required to live authentically.
How do you interpret the presence of gender fluidity? Long before contemporary language around queerness existed, male performers were inhabiting feminine personas on stageâ¦
BK: Historically, women performing male characters would rarely adopt full costume transformations and instead relied on expression and movement. Male performers, however, often embodied female characters completely through costume and mannerisms.
At one level, this was a performance. Yet performance can become a space for transformation and exploration. These traditions depict that ideas around gender expression have long existed within folk performance cultures, even before contemporary language around queerness emerged.
What new content can we expect to take forward queer themes?
We are excited about an all-male Lavani production. Unlike earlier traditions where men performed as women, this project will allow performers to retain their masculine identities while engaging fully with the emotional depth of Lavani.
On June 19; 8 pm
AT Shreeram Lagoo Rang-avkash, Hirabaug Chowk, Dadawadi, Shukrawar Peth, Pune.
CALL 9892009357 (for tickets)
ENTRY Rs 300 onwards
While there are clear parallels between Sangeet Bari artistes and queer lives, we did not want queer identity to become the central concept of the story. Instead, we wanted to focus on the many other aspects of their lives. The show attempts to normalise behaviours that are often considered socially deviant, such as polyamory or conversations around consent. Our aim was not to make statements, but to allow audiences to engage with these realities as part of everyday life.
- Kunal Vijaykar
After being a Lavani performer for nearly 15 years, the dance has become a part of me. During Apsara Aali, a previous production that many of us were part of, I kept asking myself how I could perform at my best. Over time, I realised that the answer was simple: I had to be myself and bring my own life experiences to the stage.
As performers, we spend our lives expressing emotions, telling stories and connecting with audiences. None of that is limited by gender. All these experiences leave me thinking about a question that continues to stay with me: Does art have a gender?
- Akshay Malvankar
