The men who played queens, and the Jatra that left them behind

The Indian Express reports on the life of Rakhal Chandra Das, a renowned Jatra performer known as Rakhal Rani, whose career spanned over 35 years. As a female impersonator, Rakhal became an iconic figure in the tradition, performing alongside contemporaries like Chapal Rani and Chhabi Rani. However, like many Jatra artists of his generation, Rakhal faced poverty and displacement as women entered the industry, making it increasingly difficult for male impersonators to find work.

His son, Babulal Das, described how his father struggled to find employment after leaving Jatra, eventually finding a job as a peon at a school. The story of Rakhal Rani is representative of a larger trend among generations of Jatra performers who devoted their lives to the tradition only to find themselves without livelihood when the industry began to change.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.