Viva La Trans

Drag is universal. Revolutionary. Liberating! Documenting the contemporary drag scene in Mumbai with the artists — familiar faces, both in and out of drag — on stage and behind the curtain.

Anti-trans sentiment is on the rise globally. The future looks uncertain for many members of the trans community. As marginalised communities continue to face roadblocks where there should be none, recognition and respect—even hope and joy— become islands in this social atmosphere.

Set against the Anti-Trans Bill protests, Suruj Rajkhowa’s home in Mumbai serves as a bridge to
the community, often a meeting point for both struggle and celebration.

Suruj hosted members of the trans community passing through Mumbai—Jiya Labeija and Feroza Syed—along with Sandeepta Das, Naaz, Roxy Versace, and Gentleman Gaga from within the city. Each of them comes from different geographies, backgrounds, and generations. The breadth of experiences in the room is only a fragment of the vastness of trans history—past, present, and future—built over time, through trust and resilience.