Queerness and Storytelling in India

I had interviewed Adnan Shaikh in October 2025 to discuss their approaches to storytelling and representation. Adnan's writing has appeared on many platforms, including Kazim Ali's edited anthology,  On the Brink of Belief. In this podcast episode, they discuss the importance of writing from specific regional and religious positionalities. Additionally, they also share an expansive underst...

In this episode, Raina Roy reflects on the genealogy of queer/trans activism in Kolkata, tracing back to kothi gatherings at Rabindra Sarobar Lake. She emphasises that academics must cultivate long-term, reciprocal relationships with activists—without whom their research questions, archives, and subjects would not exist. Roy highlights the value of engaging seriously with critique and draws connec...

In this episode, Aamir reflects on his experiences of belonging and unbelonging in both India and Taiwan. He highlights Taiwan's apolitical approach to higher education and queer rights despite being the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage. Aamir also discusses the nuances of being racialized and desired (or not) in both countries. He suggests that we should care and listen, with...

In this episode, Nishant Upadhyay discusses their book, Indians on Indian Lands: Intersections of Race, Caste, and Indigeneity. They explain the use of the term "Indian" in the title and the complicity of Indian migrants in settler colonialism in Canada/Turtle Island. Upadhyay also offers a detailed account of their interdisciplinary methodology and the challenges of doing fieldwork.

In this interview, recorded in August 2024, Niharika Banerjea, Professor at OP Jindal Law School, discusses how she navigates collaborations with activists and academics. We discuss how bureaucracy influences teaching in both public and private educational institutions. Banerjea also explains how she approached the question of livability in her co-authored book, Liveable Lives: Living and Survivin...

Snehashish Das offers a critique of Western universalism and asks "us" to consider why we want to fit Indian icons like Bhimrao Ambedkar and Savitribai Phule into Western categories. They discuss the role of poetry by Kabir as well as interlocutors in their "field" to rethink ideas of gender, queerness, desire and subversion. They makes a case for hope by referring to how Begumpura...

Arpita Das, the founder of Yoda Press shares what it means to start and sustain an independent publishing house in India. She discusses her collaborations with fellow publishers in Pakistan and Bangladesh. We talk about her investment in queer and trans storytelling in particular. Das also reiterates the reasons why she decided to unpublish Saiba Verma's book. She makes a case for ethical rese...

In this interview which was recorded in January 2024, the author of Coming Out as Dalit: A Memoir discusses the concept of "coming out," its genealogies and expectations. We revisit the controversy around Made in Heaven Season 2 , and Dutt's vicious trolling on social media. Dutt reminds the listeners that being oppressed does not make one inherently moral or right but regardless, it m...

In this interview, Dr Chatterjee shares why he decided to translate Krishnogopal Mallick's work. The book, Entering the Maze: Queer Fiction of Krishnagopal Mallick opens us to questions about age, desire, and masculinity. Chatterjee also reflects on the need to give more visibility to Bengali literature that addresses queer issues. Additionally, he shares his experiences of being a professor a...

In this episode, activist, educator, and organizer Summi Dass shared how she started the Moitrisanjog Society, Cooch Behar , and collaborated with donors and academics. We also discussed the centricity of Kolkata in queer and trans organizing and how that impacts the community in rural Bengal.   Rajorshi Das (RD): Today, we have Sumi Das with us. She established the Moitrisanjog Society in 2009. I...

Performance Studies scholar, Dr Cherian discusses the limits of subversion in Indian classical dance. She revisits her article on Narthaki Nataraj and Kalakrishna, and explains the political processes that led to the formation of the category of "classical." She reflects on the composition of the audiences for classical dance performances across different cities while addressing the questi...

In this episode, Ari explains why she wants to make a documentary on the trans and queer community in the Nadia district which is located at the India-Bangladesh border. The link to the fundraiser can be found here . We also discussed the hierarchies that govern the relationship between academics-researchers and grassroots activists. Please find the English translation and transcription of the int...

Queer rights activist Rohin Bhatt has been at the forefront of the struggle for marriage equality in the Supreme Court of India. We discuss the legality of the matter and the arguments from the opposing bodies. Bhatt insists that the demand for horizontal reservation for trans people should get more attention. He also explains his role as a bioethicist and elaborates on the small wins for gender i...

In my first-ever interview with a publisher, Sarma, the founder of Red River gives me an insider's account of what small-scale and independent publishing looks like in India. He discusses the joys and the risks involved in creating a poetry book. Sarma also reflects on the making of Whistling in the Dark: Twenty-One Queer Interviews which he co-edited with R Raj Rao. Editor: Shubang Gautam

"Candles are my claim, hula hoop, my release" Known for her handmade aromatic candles, Jyoti Singh shares what it means to tell a story with wax and dry flowers. This story is also informed by her belief in anti-caste politics and social and political justice. She also tells me how trauma changed her body's relationship with dance. This prompted her to seek refuge in the hula hoop. Edi...

Dey shares their standpoint on queer politics and why "queer" as an adjective matters more to them. We speak about poetry, queer pedagogy, intimacy, and identity politics. Dey also reflects on belongingness and exile, about living in Delhi and being brought up in Siliguri. She asks, "Can Bengalis imagine having a Nepali CM?" Editor: Shubang Gautam

I spoke to Minakshi Sanyal aka Malobikadi about her co-edited anthology, Monologue: Lesbian Narrative of Bangladesh and West Bengal, and her journey in relation to Sappho for Equality . We reflect on the distinctions between "bari" and flat and what it means to be at home. She shares her experiences of collaborating with Anindya Hazra on the Dialogues: Calcutta International LGBTQIA+ Film...

In his interview which was conducted in October 2022, Pradhan shares how he negotiates different places of belonging and what that means for his queerness in a globalized world. We discuss his forthcoming anthology and the process of writing and performing for digital platforms. In response to a question, Pradhan also shares some critiques of Kaustav Chakraborty's book which tries to "quee...

Santa Khurai who is a Manipuri indigenous Nupi Maanbi shares her insights on the challenges of doing activism in the region. She takes a strong stand against racism and colonialism which impacts how mainland India treats people from the Northeast. A poet and an artist, she wants to be recognized as a writer, rather than a trans writer.

Mudraboyina, the co-founder of Telangana Hijra Transgender Intersex Samiti and TransVision discusses how religion can be a site of negotiation for trans people. She explains what respect means for trans sex workers and what are the challenges of archiving the contribution of trans people to the Telangana movement.

Currently teaching in Mumbai, Gourab Ghosh is the "first openly gay candidate to contest a university election." He believes that a Queer-Left alliance is the need of the hour. Ghosh shares the processes of filming for Debalina Majumder's Gay Matrimony and the importance of law in the life of LGBTQ+ people.

Professor Vanita explains the processes that went into the making of Same-Sex Love in India . She emphasizes the need to make academic scholarship more accessible to the general reader. Vanita also shares her thoughts on the legalization of gay marriages and what that would mean for Indian gay and lesbian subjects.

I interviewed Hoshang at his Hyderabad apartment while he was still recovering from the flu. He had just returned from an event in Shimla. We spoke about the afterlives of his edited anthology, Yaraana: Gay Writing from India (1999), and non-fiction publications such as Gay Icons of India (2019) and All My Masters: An East-West Encounter (2021). The poet-writer remains unapologetic about his choic...

"artifacts have a place in the archive" Ashwini Sukthankar recollects the processes that went into the making of the anthology, Facing the Mirror: Lesbian Writing from India (1999). She also shares her thoughts on the 2019 edition's book cover and the institution of gay marriage. Sukthankar also believes that transnational labor movements can make strong alliances possible.

সিন্টু বাগুই পশ্চিমবঙ্গের শেওড়াফুলিতে অবস্থিত একজন ট্রান্স অ্যাক্টিভিস্ট এবং সমাজকর্মী। তিনি পশ্চিমবঙ্গ রাজ্যে লোক আদালতের বিচারক হওয়া দ্বিতীয় ট্রান্স মহিলা। এই সাক্ষাত্কারে (বাংলা/বাংলায় পরিচালিত) সিন্টু ট্রান্স সম্প্রদায়ের মৌলিক চাহিদা পূরণে রাজ্য প্রশাসনের ব্যর্থতার কথা পুনর্ব্যক্ত করেছেন, যেমন ট্রান্সজেন্ডার সার্টিফিকেট প্রদান। তিনি COVID মহামারীর তিনটি পর্যায়ে তহবিল সংগ্রহকারীদের রাজনীত...