The Nachya in Natrang: queer(ing) bodies in representations of Tamasha in Marathi cinema

Abstract

In this paper, I read the key character of the Nachya (effeminate male performer) in representations of Tamasha in the Marathi film Natrang, in order to interrogate a productive ambivalence in this character – one that is simultaneously heteronormative and queerly transgressive in its regional Indian context. The Nachya is coded as homosexual in Marathi cinema, through his exaggeratedly effeminate appearance, gestures and high-pitched singing voice. He traditionally functions as a comic, ‘wrong’ body by emphasizing the difference between ‘real’ and ‘fake’ femininity. However, he also accrues subversive value and serves as a queer, cultural point of identification. Therefore, by focusing on Tamasha song and dance sequences (specifically, the Lavani as a site of Marathi cinema's sex and gender play), I argue that representation which is normative in the context of the film's production and target mainstream audience can be reclaimed and re-coded through the lens of what could be termed a dynamic, queer, regional viewing practice.