Currently one of NYC’s most gorgeously costumed drag queens, the India-born Malai is here to dazzle for Diwali this month.
Thotyssey: Hello Malai, thanks for chatting today! How is Spooky Season treating you so far?
Malai: Fantastic, actually! For us drag queens, dressing up as something spooky isn’t much of a stretch! Spooky season is basically drag queen Christmas, which is tons of gigs and a chance to dust off those colored lenses we ignore all year!
Speaking of looks — your manly, muscular, ripped jeans presentation at “Dragistan” (the desi drag festival LaWhore Vagistan produced this past summer) was quite a showstopper! What inspired you to perform that way?
I’ve always been fascinated by Bollywood and its many wild, wonderful, and gloriously kitschy eras. One of them was the 90s rise of the muscular, oiled-up, shaved-chest aesthetic made famous by Salman Khan. For all its macho posturing, that wave of metrosexual body-grooming spoke to a lot of queer kids like me.
Now, I’m not exactly a gym bro out of drag, but as a queen I’ll say this: a muscular body is a kind of drag. It’s costume, armor, performance. It lets you be seen and feel powerful. That’s the same energy Tom of Finland captured in his art. And honestly, showing up as a jacked dude to a gay party is so stupid, camp, and defiant. A big middle finger to beauty standards. So why the fuck not, lol!?
Does your drag tend to be very different each time as far as looks and numbers go, or are there some recurring themes?
I always try to shock and awe with my looks. I love playing with weird or unexpected silhouettes, mostly because it’s fun to figure out how to turn my sketches into something real — sometimes using whatever I can find and a hot glue gun. In our community, we have to be pioneers. We’re always pushing boundaries and trying new things, but keeping it fun and a little ridiculous, because that’s what drag is about. I get inspired by pop culture, the wild energy of New York City drag, and honestly, sometimes I’m just taking the piss out of everything because life really isn’t that serious.
Can you tell us a bit of your origin story?
I grew up in a small town called Latur. It’s this drought-prone, middle-of-nowhere, earthquake-ridden place that’s mostly known for its strict, conservative education system—and, well, peanuts, lol. There wasn’t much of a gay scene there—honestly, I don’t think people even knew what “gay” meant.
When I was 12, I performed a lavni number—which is this traditional Maharashtrian showgirl-style dance—in a saree, in front of my whole school. I got bullied for it, obviously, but the teenage me was living a full fantasy of becoming a rich and famous artiste someday.
I wanted to be a fashion designer because I had a good eye for it, but that was way too gay for my town. So I picked the next best gay profession: architecture. Growing up in a joint Indian family, we didn’t have much exposure to live entertainment or anything like drag as we know it today, but we were surrounded by fierce women. And that energy: their confidence, their boldness is what really inspired me to be fearless.
I didn’t really know what drag was back then, but I knew female impersonation existed. In India, it wasn’t the full slay-boots-house-down kind of drag you see in the West. It was more underground. It was the trans community in India that really showed me what it meant to play with gender and lean into femininity, especially in those dark clubs and secret gay Bombay parties. We’d dance all night to “Dhak Dhak Karne Laga” and just forget about the world. Believe it or not, those were the first times I ever felt truly unjudged.
What inspired your name?
My drag name, Malai, is a celebration of my body and an embrace of all its curves. The word itself brings a sense of nostalgia, but it’s also a little evocative and maybe even a bit sleazy—and I love that. In Hindi, malai means cream, which is such a perfect fit because, honestly, it’s an essential ingredient in Indian cooking.
What brought you to NYC, and how long have you been here now?
I came to New York to pursue my Master’s in architecture. I’ve lived in New York for almost 11 years now. I’ve moved seven apartments through three boroughs, but I’m proud to call Queens my home!
Yay, Queens County representation!
A Queens queen is usually gritty, grounded, and deeply connected to her community, just like so many of us POC queens.
There is a tight knit and small but growing community of desi and Middle Eastern drag performers in NYC.
Desi queens especially find each other like homing beacons, because no one else really gets the immigrant drag experience the way we do.
We mentioned LaWhore, producer of “Dragistan,” earlier… she’s taken a role as visiting Professor at Harvard, which is extraordinary! Sadly it comes at a time when both drag and the Ivy League are politically under fire. No doubt she’ll prevail and excel, but how do you navigate this fairly awful climate that hangs over us all these days?
It’s honestly a really tough time for my trans friends. I’m just trying to do my part by showing up, fundraising, and speaking out against the wave of transphobic laws this administration keeps pushing. A lot of us feel like we need to keep our heads down to survive right now, and that’s totally valid, but at the same time queer people have always been fighters.
I also recognize the privilege I have. I don’t live in a red state, I’m not undocumented, and I’m not a trans woman of color. That privilege needs to be acknowledged, and it has to be used for something good. The only way we make it through times like this is by showing up for one another.
So major the Hindu festival Diwali is coming soon, and you have several gigs to celebrate this month. First up is “Disco Diwali,” care of YUVA at Red Eye on October 18th! Can you tell us more about what that night will be like?
Yuva Diwali is really close to my heart because it gives me the chance to celebrate this beautiful festival with my chosen family. You can expect amazing performances by me and my drag daughter Tamasha Bhosle, great music, and fabulous cocktails… but that’s just the beginning. What really makes it special is the sense of community — everyone coming together to hug, dance, and laugh like we’re all one; you really have to be there to experience Desi queer joy!
Then on Sunday the 19th, it’s “Brunch and Brawl” at Brooklyn’s Fontainhas Dukaan alongside RuAfza, Mercy Masala and Bertha Vanayshun. That should be festive and fab!
That one is wild! People don’t know this, but we actually brawl; nothing crazy, but we snatch each other’s wigs and get into silly cat fights. We read each other (playfully, of course) and lip synch battle the house down. “Brunch and Brawl” days are my favorite because they bring out the best and worst in all of us.
You’ll also be taking part in something interesting on 3 Dollar Bill’s 9 Bob Note stage on October 23rd: “Bring Your Own Gender Ideology,” where it seems you’ll be playing… Zohran Mamdani, lol? Bertha Vanayshun and Tuna Melt will be there, too. What’s this all about?
That is correct. The event is organized by National Queer Theater and it is a fabulous imitative to bring camp and drag to raise election awareness. Last year, only 23% of New Yorkers voted for the mayoral elections… and that should worry us, because we can’t afford to be so complacent given the times we live in. So I’ll be dressed up as Zohran urging them to vote!
Then it looks like your closing Diwali season with an event that’s also at 3DB, on Friday the 24th!
This event is very close to my heart. I’m hosting the “Queer Diwali Ball” at 3 Dollar Bill, now in its third year. The event raises money for Desi Rainbow Parents, a South Asian nonprofit that supports Desi and trans communities. We’ll have an incredible lineup of over ten drag artists, and a vibrant Diwali market. This year’s theme, “Divine Deities,” is set to bring out some of the most stunning Diwali looks you’ve ever seen.
Is there anything else coming up?
I’m making my Chicago debut at Dim Sum and Drag on October 25, and I couldn’t be more excited! On November 4th, I’ll be hosting a variety show at The Slipper Room called “Let Them Eat Jalebi.” Before that, catch me on November 2nd performing at a special event dedicated to none other than Shah Rukh Khan (details coming soon).
I’m also reviving “Badnaam,” the South Asian variety show I first launched in 2023, and I’ll be teaching a drag makeup class for beginners very soon—stay tuned for those details!
And finally, a Spooky Season question: what is more believable to you, ghosts or UFOs?
I don’t believe in ghosts because I’ve never experienced anything remotely paranormal. But when it comes to aliens, that feels different. Even though I’ve never seen a UFO, it makes sense that life could exist elsewhere. The universe spans 93 billion light years, and what we know is just a tiny blip in time. It feels almost arrogant to think we’re the only intelligent species to ever exist.
Absolutely! Thanks, Malai!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Malai’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram, TikTok and her website.
Thotyssey 