Abhijeet is an enigma wrapped in a Devis daydream. This seven-foot-tall, self-proclaimed “Bollywood Barbie” identifies as non-binary and uses pronouns they/them/she/her. This talented drag artist from Mumbai has collaborated with several friends to create a project titled Dream Devis, part of Steppenwolf Theatre’s LookOut series this spring.
Other highlights from the annual series include Theytriarch, exploring queer roles in society, and another collaboration with Abhijeet called little fears in March.
Abhijeet sat down at Steppenwolf for coffee to discuss following their dreams to Chicago, and the creation of Dream Devis.
Windy City Times: What led you to Illinois in the first place?
Abhijeet: I moved from Mumbai to Chicago in 2012 to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I fell in love with the queer culture and nightlife scene right away.
Things came together as I started a drag career and eventually moved into event management with Do 312.
WCT: How did your family feel about you performing in drag?
A: I first came out to them right before I moved here. They looked at my move to Chicago as an opportunity my parents never had. They wanted me to make a life for myself and my dad even said, “Do something cool while you are there.” I feel like I did stick to that and have done something cool with every opportunity I have had. My family has been extremely supportive, and it eventually clicked for them that my drag was art.
In the past few years, I have been taking my drag more seriously and not just something I did in my twenties for fun.
WCT: How do you find community with other Indian drag queens when there are so few in the world?
A: Nationally there is LaWhore Vagistan who is a professor out of drag by the name of Kareem Khubchandani and locally there is Masala Sapphire, who is in my show. I am starting to see drag kings and young performers starting to come out into the scene. Chicago has a vast South Asian community, so we are getting there.
WCT: Would you like to be on RuPaul’s Drag Race?
A: Eventually, but I am not in any rush. I am just starting to nail down my place in Chicago, and there is so much I want to accomplish here first.
WCT: Talk about the creation of this upcoming show at Steppenwolf.
A: The show is called Dream Devis, which translates to “Dream Goddesses.” It’s a deep dive into the feminine archetypes of South Asian movies and Bollywood cinema. I have always had a strong connection to the women in these films, and they have inspired me to be who I am today.
There are eight chapters, and each one is a different type of woman we are exploring such as the rule breaker or the mother. We will be mixing in drag, dance and a lot of video.
There will be live singing by Shruthi Kannan and a DJ Riya Riya who will create soundscapes for her.
Much of this came together thanks to Leha as The Salamander. She styles her name in the way of old cinema stars, and I call her a Bollywood historian. Her vast knowledge has helped flesh out this whole thing and she’s a close collaborator of mine.
WCT: Sounds like it takes a team to tackle this much history.
A: We are all from different regions. I grew up in Mumbai, Leha is from Bangladesh.
Masala grew up in the United States, but her family is from India, similar to another performer named Gulabi Sapphire, and our DJ Shruthi is from South India.
We all grew up with different languages and cinema from everywhere. It’s very exciting to see it all come together.
WCT: Do the different regions of India primarily get along with each other?
A: Each region has its own culture and language, so that often separates us from each other. When we are able to look at it from outside of India in the US, the goal of the show is to mesh it together to engage it as a whole.
WCT: How are you spreading the word about this show to the community?
A: We are trying to reach as many of the South Asian communities and publications as we can.
WCT: What would you like audiences to take away from Dream Devis?
A: It is a different world to many of the people coming to see the show and this introduction is their first step. I want it to be accessible to people who might have never even seen a Bollywood film.
We are going to have subtitles throughout the whole show, and we will be mixing in English music with Indian languages. It’s going to be a medley with a multi-sensory experience.
WCT: How can people be an ally and support others from India?
A: Right now with all of the anti-immigration rhetoric it’s important to hold your documented and undocumented friends close. They might not have had to worry about things before so if there is a moment of joy then celebrate it.
We want this show to be an escape. We were just rehearsing last night and there are serious moments, but the overall theme is that these women made us happy. Now we get to share that with the people who come to the Steppenwolf.
WCT: Are you going to tape the show so your family can see it back home?
A: Yes, and we are also going to shoot video backstage to show how chaotic it can be.
WCT: So like Untucked: RuPaul’s Drag Race?
A: A bit, yes. [laughs]
WCT: This seems like a chance to pay back all the women who have inspired and motivated you in your life.
A: Yes, they are such a safe space for us and sometimes our first friends before we even know we are queer sometimes. We are drawn to their art and this show is an extension of that.
WCT: Where would you like to see this show go in the future?
A: I am building it in chapters so I would like to see each chapter exist independently or just a few chapters paired together.
With so many South Asian artists, comedians and singers on tour in the US, we would like to open for them with different chapters of our show. We have also been talking about the idea of what this would look like as a film special, a photoshoot or a book. It will exist as a live theater piece, but we would like to make it more tangible.
WCT: Is there an intermission between these eight chapters?
A: Yes, and the show will be interrupted by a vamp character to signal the intermission. She’s the woman you are not supposed to like, but if you are queer, she might be your favorite. The LGBTQ+ community sometimes likes their villains and this one will be very campy.
The audience will be sitting down but we want them to feel the energy moving around the room inside the theater!
Don’t sleep on Dream Devis at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., on April 4, 5, 12 and 13. Tickets are $25 and can be found at steppenwolf.org.