Rani Ko-HE-Nur says the world ‘needs and deserves’ an Indian adaptation of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
One of the most prominent LGBTQ+ people in her home country, Rani memorably made history as the first drag artist in India to participate on a reality singing show with her appearance on its longest-running game show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.
Last year, she continued to “nama-slay” on an international scale when she was announced as a contestant on Queen of the Universe, World of Wonder’s singing competition that collects some of the world’s fiercest drag vocalists to compete for $250,000.
Hosted by Graham Norton with pop diva judges Michelle Visage, Trixie Mattel, Leona Lewis and Vanessa Williams, Rani – who already boasted over a million followers on Instagram – became an immediate fan-favourite thanks to her powerhouse vocals and deadpan sense-of-humour.
In the new issue of GAY TIMES, Rani says it’s time for Drag Race India so audiences can finally witness the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent of the country’s drag scene, and that she’d be the number-one pick to host the series.
“Who else, darling? Who else? Please, do tell. Do tell!” laughs Rani.
“I think we need and deserve a Drag Race India. There are so many amazing artists and in the last two years, there has been this surge of beautiful, beautiful people doing drag. And it’s not just gay men or trans women.”
The star says she’s “thankful” for the recent strides in representation on the franchise, such as the inclusion of a cis-het male in Maddy Morphosis (season 14) and a cisgender woman in Victoria Scone (UK season three).
“This is what I want to tell the community: if you want people to be inclusive, you can’t be exclusive. You can’t claim drag is not for everyone because drag is for everyone. You can’t suppress us. We are here and queer and we matter,” Rani continues.
“I think that, definitely, we need a Drag Race India. I’m going to host it and I will definitely open and close [each episode] with a performance because I can. Of course, Mother Ru would have to sanction it… I want it to happen.”
If the series does come to fruition in the future, Rani teases that there would be “so much drama” and a lot of “Bollywood music”.
She adds: “The costumes? You’re going to die. The jewellery! The opulence! The fashion! The skin! The hair! The diversity! I live, already. In my head, I’m already on that stage. I live for it.”
Rani, who is currently on tour, reveals that she has three films on the horizon as well as a “party” anthem with Queen of the Universe champion Grag Queen.
Recently, the entertainer launched a new YouTube series, Main Bhi Rani, which features interviews with the “real sheroes of the trans community”.
“People from my country believe that trans people can only beg or indulge in sex work,” says Rani. “These are women that are entrepreneurs, doctors, and lawyers who have their own businesses. I want to show the country that, even after all that you have subjected them to, here we are.”
The August 2022 issue of GAY TIMES also features interviews with singer-songwriter Raveena, Gaysians founder Reeta Loi, Birmingham-based artist Girth of Venus and Laks Mann, the LGBTQ+ Lead for South Asian Heritage Month.
You can read our full interview with Rani Ko-HE-Nur from 14 July via the GAY TIMES app, Apple News+, Readly, and Flipster.
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