Bengaluru’s favourite drag queen Alex Mathew celebrates 10 years as Maya by launching a brand new property

The first time we noticed Maya, The Drag Queen, it was way back in 2014, when a young, timid Alex Mathew scrambled across Ulsoor searching for costume jewellery and a wig, a night before his debut as Mayamma. Ten years later, Maya has redefined what drag as an art form means in India and we catch up with Alex to journey down memory lane as we also announce a brand new property, Thank God It’s Drag, he has just launched as an homage to his biggest passion — drag.

It’s been ten years! How has the journey been, so far?

I did go through my ups and downs but ultimately what I think I enjoyed the most was the adrenaline rush that I got from each and every performance. It was in September 2014, when I did my first drag performance at a QAMI (Queer Arts Movement of India) event in Bengaluru. I didn’t have any sort of expectation. I just wanted to like let out my femininity and have fun. I think that’s the crux of being a drag queen — just having fun and painting the town in every single colour!

How did you decide to take on a performance art form like drag?

My background in theatre actually led me to it. I met a trans man who inspired me to accept me as I was and when I was performing for a QAMI event in Bengaluru in 2014, before my event, I felt kind of stagnant. I felt like I was not able to put across my full potential. I was performing as Alex and I knew I had so much more to offer. So, I began to do my research and I searched for other forms of performance art that could help me set myself apart. I came across Mrs Doubtfire (1993), the drag comedy by Robin Williams and its homage Avvai Shanmugi (1996) by Kamal Haasan. I was like if Robin and Kamal can do this, then so can I! That gave birth Maya, The Drag Queen who was then simply known as Mayamma and there has been no turning back since.

But drag in a country that is still plagued by homophobia and transphobia? Were you accepted? Have things changed in ten years?

I think I should start with how people perceived me back in 2014. I think they were not able to label me. Am I a cross-dresser? Am I a trans woman? They didn’t know the word drag nor did they recognise it as an art form. So, I had to get into this mission to educate people by doing TEDx talks, going to different schools and colleges and educating people about drag as an art form. Then RuPaul’s Drag Race became a thing and there was this sudden surge of drag race fans. A few establishments across the country opened up and gave drag a space and so the culture became more prominent. Ten years later, are we on par with drag culture across the west and even south-east Asia? I don’t think so. We still need more representation and we still have a long way to go, but we’ve definitely made a beginning and things are getting better.

You chose to make Maya an inclusive drag queen. Women love your performances! What made you choose this path?

My journey, it started with women supporting me. Like, the fact that my makeup and my sari were given to me by my mother! So, for me, I’m actually taking them along in this journey with me. I always want to ensure that my performances are a safe space where people can be together, be themselves, be proud of who they are and be proud. I have no place for unnecessary sassiness, toxicity, body shaming or any of that. I celebrate women as they are.

And finally, you’ve starting something as a celebration of your 10th anniversary as a drag artiste. Tell us more?

I’ve started something called Thank God It’s Drag with a party promoter — an organisation known as Dude Party. They reached out to me and said, we do need to have our own Drag Fridays or Drag Nights and they said, we’re going to fully support you and that, “the night has to be all about you.” That’s how the idea began. But now we’ve launched this property and it will continue every Friday at different venues across the city, featuring different drag artistes. 

Email: romal@newindianexpress.com

X: @elromal