Drag queen, Ivanka Das on being rejected by her family and finding her voice

By Shahnaz Siganporia16 September 2019

“Before my transition, drag was the only way for me to show off the woman in me."

“I am a trans woman and a fighter. And I will be a super star someday,” says Ivanka Das. Beautiful, bald and brilliant, her star quality is undeniable, be it when she pulls off a full-split in a lehenga or nails her photoshoot in ten-minutes flat. She isn’t chasing the flashy cars and penthouse apartment, instead this multi-hyphenated dancer, choreographer, reality TV contestant (Dance Deewane) and drag queen, wants to create a legacy. “I want to be the next Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, and I will get there by winning the hearts of people. I want to be known as India’s first trans woman to make it. And, I want my trans identity to be highlighted, because this is who I am.”

For this 33-year-old, overcoming adversity is a way of life—from being disowned by her family when she came out, to battling the constant stigma of being a trans woman in India. Ivanka has had to, and continues to, face her share of obstacles. She grew up between Mumbai and Kolkata, and apart from her love of dance, her world was very different in those earlier years. She was born a boy, named Arandeep Das, and lost both her parents before she was an adult. Growing up with her extended and conservative family in the early 1990s, proved debilitating on multiple fronts. She says, “I was a very handsome man you know, and looked exactly how a guy should look. But my behaviour was very lady like, and everybody judged me constantly, bullied me because I was too effeminate. They told me that if I didn’t change my ways I would not be a man. And they were right, it was difficult, close to impossible, but not for the reasons they thought.” When Ivanka came out, she did not leave her past life behind, instead she still tries to maintain ties with her family. And continues to deal with their consistent rejection.

She moved to Delhi, became a choreographer, started dating men and through her transition empowered herself. She named herself Ivanka. These days, she looks back not so much in anger, but with a resignation and determination that her struggles have only made her stronger and more sure of herself. In fact, embracing adversity and making it her strength seems to be Ivanka’s defining quality. A few years ago, after a terrible bout of jaundice followed by typhoid, she suffered from an extreme case of alopecia. At first losing her hair, hit her hard, and in a fit of rage she shaved whatever little was left, and this unknowingly led to her first big break. “My photographer friend told me that with the bald head and my strong jawline and big effeminate eyes I had a very androgynous look and that he would love to shoot me. So, I said ok. And that shoot did very well, and soon I was modelling!”

Between her choreography gigs and modelling, Ivanka made her way to Mumbai. And found her way on to Dance Deewane, as a contestant, the videos of her performance went viral, “It was a great experience. Just being on TV, hearing the audiences cheer for me, their acceptance and love, means everything to me. But I have also learnt my lessons, this is not an easy industry nepotism reigns, there’s a lot of dirty politics and you have to be smart. But I know who I am, and I will keep being me. I mean, one of my dreams has come true today, I am in a Vogue shoot!” she says.

And while the glamour world be it movies, television, web series is definitely her ambition. It was in drag where she found a sense of community, acceptance and the freedom to be whoever she wanted to be. She was introduced to drag about a year ago, and her performances were almost immediately a huge success, she says, “I still have a lot to learn, with make-up and dressing. But I love to perform in drag!” Over just a few months, Ivanka has become an integral part of Keshav Suri’s Kitty Su drag nights across the country, she adds, “They are my family now.”

Today, Ivanka is based in Mumbai and even as she continues to audition her way through show biz, it is her role as drag performer that she’s most excited about. She says, “Before my transition, drag was the only way for me to show off the woman in me. Being a performing drag queen today, I can see my journey from what I was to who I am now, and it has filled my life with love and happiness.”