Pride Month 2026: 'The queerness always existed within Lavani'

Does art possess gender Lavani Maharashtrarsquos 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 sensualityAudiences join artistes onstage during a previous performanceTo understand how this centuriesold 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 PuneExcepts from the interviewHow did the idea of exploring queerness through Lavani emergeBhushan 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 2024From left Sopinath Patokar Gauri Jadhav and Akshay Malvankar rehearse a scene from the queer production Rang Birangi Lavani at a Vile Parle studio PICSRANE ASHISHHow has your research about Lavani artistesrsquo lives influenced your approach towards this actBK 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 compositionsOne song follows a barber who falls in love with a customer Another is a playful conversation between a transgender woman and her brother about makeup and selfexpression The third explores male desire through the perspective of a bold and fearless female loverLavani has always celebrated intense emotions How does it help bridge the gap between a queer story while preserving its traditionBK 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 storiesSopinath Patokar and right Akshay Malvankar address their mutual feelings in a pivotal sceneMany people perceive Lavani only as a performance form but it also carries histories of stigma and survival How did you bring these lesserknown layers to the forefrontBK 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 authenticallyHow do you interpret the presence of gender fluidity Long before contemporary language around queerness existed male performers were inhabiting feminine personas on stagehellipBK 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 mannerismsAt 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 emergedWhat new content can we expect to take forward queer themesWe are excited about an allmale 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 LavaniOn June 19 8 pmAT Shreeram Lagoo Rangavkash Hirabaug Chowk Dadawadi Shukrawar Peth PuneCALL 9892009357 for ticketsENTRY Rs 300 onwardsDirectional voiceWhile 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 VijaykarArt and genderAfter 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 stageAs 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