Electronic beats and heavy basslines had been thumping through Kitty Su at The LaLiT New Delhi for hours, as Delhi’s queer crowd gathered for a night of music, drag and Dolly Parton. Upstairs, drag queens Lush Monsoon and Hash Brownie were getting ready for the night’s tribute to the country icon, with the party eventually reaching its high point when the duo took the stage around 1 am.
For Lush, aka Aishwarya Ayushmaan, Dolly became a reference point only after she started doing drag. “I came to Dolly much later, after I started doing drag. The big hair, glamour and over-the-top femininity are such a huge part of drag,” she says. And while ‘9 to 5’ may seem like the obvious pick, it has a very personal connection for Lush. “I love ‘9 to 5’ because it feels like my life; I’m a human rights lawyer by day and a drag queen by night.”
Hash Brownie, also known as Reggie Sandhu, arrived at the party carrying a lot more than her makeup kit. She had just returned from a three-day trip to Mumbai to find her drag prosthetics, including her breastplates and silicone padding, outside her room. She believes someone had entered the space while she was away. A few days later, her landlord’s son asked her to start looking for another house. “They didn’t confront me directly, but I knew they wouldn’t accept my drag. I just wish I’d had cameras at home,” she says.
Despite everything, she still made it to Kitty Su that night to perform for an ardent crowd. Her connection with Dolly, she says, grew stronger after learning more about the singer’s philanthropy and history. “I started believing in Dolly much more after I learnt about her history and all the charity work she does.” And then there’s the glamour — something Hash Brownie clearly appreciates. “I love that she’s so rich, but the only things she really brags about are her implants and wigs.
{{/usCountry}}Despite everything, she still made it to Kitty Su that night to perform for an ardent crowd. Her connection with Dolly, she says, grew stronger after learning more about the singer’s philanthropy and history. “I started believing in Dolly much more after I learnt about her history and all the charity work she does.” And then there’s the glamour — something Hash Brownie clearly appreciates. “I love that she’s so rich, but the only things she really brags about are her implants and wigs.
{{/usCountry}}And perhaps that was exactly the spirit of the night: big hair, bigger personalities and a room full of people letting themselves be exactly who they wanted to be.