Begum Nawazish Ali Running For Parliament

Posted on by

So, there was a big article in the New York Times recently (thanks, TechnophobicGeek) about how Indian TV is supposedly entering this golden age of innovative programming. Some of the shows mentioned have actually been talked about before at Sepia Mutiny, including “Galli Galli Sim Sim.” There’s also an interesting segment on a new reality show oriented to teenagers, called “Dhoom Machao Dhoom,” about four girls who want to start a band. One of them is a “returned” ABCD from New York, which makes for interesting drama when she says they should write their own songs instead of just doing Bollywood numbers…

Anyway, it’s a decent read, but it strikes me that Indian TV remains a narrow-minded backwater as long as Pakistan has Begum Nawazish Ali. Via 3 Quarks Daily, I came across a new profile at MSNBC of Pakistan’s famous celebrity drag queen and talk show host. Among other things, the Begum freely admits her “bisexuality,” though I’m not sure she means it the way we might think she means it. (Venial Sin, the former SM guest blogger, wasn’t thrilled about her performance, as you may remember: “I mean, kudos to Begum Nawazish Ali for getting to pull a tranny routine on TV, but how necessary is it to reiterate the stereotypes of a gay man as an effeminate ‘woman stuck in a male body’ or as a hijra?”)

But now comes the news that she plans to run for Pakistani Parliament:

Then Saleem dropped a bombshell. “You are the first person I am announcing this to, but I have decided to file my papers for the upcoming general elections,” he exclaimed. “I am going to run for a parliamentary seat as an independent from all over Pakistan and I am going to campaign as Begum Nawazish Ali!” The note of triumph and excitement in his voice is unmistakable.

“I want to be the voice of the youth and for all of Pakistan,” he continued. “The idea was always to break barriers and preconceived notions, of gender, identity, celebrity and politics and to bring people closer. In any case, I think Begum Nawazish Ali is the strongest woman in Pakistan!”

Whether Pakistanis agree or not, the elections at the end of the year are likely to be one of the most uproarious in recent times. (link)

Interesting — we’ll see if her political career (is she really serious?) is going to be as groundbreaking as her showbiz career has been.

There are many theories about how it is the Begum can get away with it in conservative Pakistan. She’s been careful not to be crude in the Dame Edma vein, but still — there are some serious social taboos being transgressed here. What do you think?

In case you’re wondering what the fuss is about, I might recommend this 10 minute Youtube clip of the Begum doing her thing. The jokes are corny, but the sari and make-up are exquisite.

18 thoughts on “Begum Nawazish Ali Running For Parliament”

  1. Ah, but Indian TV has had its Bobby Darling, who also played the second lead actress in Kya Koool Hai Hum :-). And not to confuse cross dressing, bisexuality and eunhuchs, but Hijra candidates in India have done surprisingly well. Shabnam Mausi was elected an MLA in Madhya Pradesh and Kamlaa Jaan got elected Mayor. Jaan was later sacked from her post by a court order, since she had contested on a seat reserved for women.

  2. lolzz that video is hilarious. very convincing had even me fooled!

    well he can file all the papers he want and enjoy the publicity but hez not going anywhere better stick to singing lolzz. such a beautiful voice 😀

  4. That’s fantastic! But I can’t get over the fact that a JeI leader appeared on the Begum’s show – anyone know who it was??? This I must watch.

  6. Theories about how she gets away with it in conservative Pakistan? Well, a hijra is expected to be, um, sexual, and hijras make bawdy jokes when visiting a shaadi-ka-ghar too, so I suppose there’s space for that kind of over-the-top sexuality in the designated person of the hijra (didn’t mean to come across sounding quite so PoMo, but you know what i mean). The MSNBC article also notes that a woman wouldn’t be able to get away with the double entendre that “Begum” does.

  7. The Sunni Ayatollah-equivalent will have to be a little careful when he says off with her “head”, methinks…

  8. SP, I see what you’re saying, though I’ve actually been reading her as rather unlike a Hijra. The Begum’s drag effect is very much an emulation (and parody) of an educated bourgeois “Lady” — upscale — which isn’t something one associates with Hijras.

  9. Yes, she is very lady-ish…which definitely throws things. But everyone knows it’s an act and treats it as such (except for the poor JeI fellow, hehe), so I suspect she still gets cut some slack with the sexual suggestiveness. In Delhi many years ago a tranny hairdresser called Sylvie was the toast of the town, interviewed on the nightlife channels occasionally too, and managed to bridge the traditional giggle-evoking hijra stereotype with the fabulous fashion queen one. No-one would give a hijra on the street this much respect of course, and the “colonel’s widow” upscale aunty act allows her to do the talk-show bit. The ambiguous sexuality can pique people’s interest and make them open up more, in some ways, cf Karan Johar’s show compared with Simi Garewal’s (though Simi just has a stick up her ladylike rear in general).

  10. Words fail me. There WILL, however, be much in the way of comments from me regarding this once I manage to get some sleep.

  11. These kind of performers desexualize the issue at hand. Does nothing to educate. Unless his/her platform is LGBT rights.

  12. Neale, I believe she would call herself an entertainer — why does she have to “educate”? What is the “issue at hand” that is being “desexualized”?

  13. True Amardeep. Historically, theatre has always had men playing women roles. And probably still so in South Asian non-urban settings. And many of them are probably gay. So, yes, gays have always been looked upon as entertainers i.e. non-threatening. And therefore, it is not so earth shaking that Pakistan has a star in Begum. I am hoping her entry into politics will signify much more positive. Because, she is danger of becoming even more of a caricature.

    BTW, there was nice story on Renee Richards in NYT a few weeks ago. How lonely and confused she still is about what she did and signified.

  15. pakistanis love a good laugh as much as anyone… maybe even more. that helps account for the begum’s popularity but doesn’t mean her political career is going to be a success. back in ’97, pashto film actress mussarrat shaheen (spandex-clad star of “miss atom bomb” and other classics) made a run for parliament from dera ismail khan, one of the most conservative districts in the country, against maulana fazlur rehman. it was great fodder for media coverage, and she was truly brave to campaign for office in such a conservative area, but in the end, she lost (and so did the maulana, for that matter.) better luck to the begum.

  17. has anyone heard the biffin bridge podcast? Drugs,drink,illicit acts,exemplary paliamentary behaviour??