Sushant Divgikar is an Indian transgender model, actor, singer, industrial psychologist and beauty pageant director. He/she also works as a drag queen under the name “Rani KoHEnur” or “Rani Ko-He-Nur”.
Wiki/Biography
Sushant Divgikar was born on Tuesday, July 3, 1990 in Bandra West, Mumbai (age 32; as of 2022). His/her zodiac sign is Cancer.
Sushant Divgikar’s childhood photos with his father
He/she goes to school in Arya Vidya Mandir, Mumbai. Later, he/she studied Advertising/Public Relations at Usha Pravin Gandhi College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai. Sushant received his Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Mithibai College of Arts, Chauhan Institute of Science and Amruthben Jivanlal College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai. Later, he/she studied advertising course at Harkisan Mehta College, Mumbai.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′10″
Hair color: brown
Eye color: brown
Gender and Sexual Orientation
In his/her teenage years, he/she identified as gay, but later, he/she realized that he/she was gender fluid. His/her favorite pronouns are he, she, and they. In an interview, when talking about his or her gender identity, he/she said,
I have to come clean to all of you about my gender identity because it causes me a lot of anxiety and a lot of the time I can’t deal with it. I realized it was best to leave it out there. To clarify, I realize I can’t limit myself to just one gender. I am a combination of both! I love my men as much as I love my women. I am Shiva and Shakti, the synergy of the two energies. This is different from my orientation. I will always be attracted to men. It’s just that my gender identity isn’t just male! I am a non-binary person! I felt relieved. “
family
Sushant Divgikar was born into a Goan Konkani family.
Parents and siblings
His/her father Pradeep Krishnarao Divgikar is a retired Assistant Commissioner of the Indian Customs and Central Excise Department and the former President of the Greater Mumbai Amateur Aquatics Association (GMAAA). His/her mother, Bharati Rao Divgikar, is a retired manager of a Japanese bank and runs an NGO. His/her brother Karan Divgikar works for Qatar Airways.
Sushant Devjikar and his parents
Sushant Devjikar and his brother
Relationships/Affairs
Sushant had revealed in an interview that he/she had three boyfriends. One of his boyfriends is a businessman from South Africa. They first met at a gay beauty pageant. According to reports, they were invited to participate in the TV celebrity dance show “Nach Baliye”. On February 4, 2024, Sushant posted some photos with a mysterious man on social media, which soon went viral on the internet. The post’s caption sparked speculation about their romantic relationship and the possibility of marriage.
Sushant Divgikar’s Instagram post
Profession
Model
As a teenager, Sushant started his/her career as a model in various print advertisements and photo shoots. He/she has already embarked on the path to become one of India’s top fashion designers.
Sushant Divgikar attends fashion show
In 2014, he participated in the Mr. Gay India contest and won the championship.
Sushant Divgikar Mr Gay India 2014
He/she then represented India in the Mr. Gay World competition and was among the top ten finalists. During the competition, he/she won three sub-awards: “Mr Gay World Friendly”, “Mr People’s Choice” and “Mr Gay World Arts”.
Sushant Divgikar in Mr Gay World
Sushant has appeared in various television commercials for Maruti Suzuki and Idea Mobiles.
television
In 2012, he/she hosted the TV show “Atyachaar Ka Punchnama” which was aired on UTV Bindass. He/she has also hosted some other TV shows like Style Police and Bindaas Video Wars. He/she appeared as a guest on the TV show “Big Switch 3” in 2013.
Sushant Divjikar in Big Switch 3
Later, he/she participated as a contestant in various television shows such as “Welcome – Baazi Mehmaan Nawazi Ki” (2013), “Bigg Boss 8” (2014) and “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” (2018) .
Sushant Divgikar in Bigg Boss 8 house
singer
Sushant did not have any formal singing training. When he/she was a teenager, he/she used to practice Asha Bhosle’s song “Piya Tu Ab Toh Aaja” from the Hindi film Caravan (1971). In 2020, he/she released his/her independent single “Diamond”.
Diamond Song Poster
In 2021, he/she released his/her single “Damn That Man”. He/She has dubbed for the title song of the Kannada film “3 Devi” (2021). Sushant has also uploaded several Hindi cover songs on his YouTube channel of the same name.
drag queen
In 2015, he/she performed for the first time as a drag artist in Vikram Kapadia’s play The Merchant of Venice. He/she then hosted a number of drag shows and events at national and international film festivals. At a cross-dressing event, he/she was spotted by Indian entrepreneur Ishaan Sethi, who spoke about Sushant with Keshav Suri, executive director of Lalit Hospitality Group. In 2017, Suri invited Sushant to perform with drag queen Violet Chachki at his KittySu nightclub in New Delhi. Sushant’s performance was loved by the audience, after which Sushant decided to adopt the drag queen avatar Rani Ko-HE-Nur.
Sushant Divgikar aka Rani KoHEnur
In an interview, when he/she was asked how he/she became interested in becoming a drag queen, he/she stated that he/she has been interested in dressing up as women since childhood. He/she said,
As a kid, I always loved dressing up. I have always been fascinated by makeup, accessories and beautiful clothing. I would enter costume contests and always dress like a mermaid or Madhuri Dixit; one time I even dressed up as Tina Turner. I’ve always loved playing female characters because they have so much depth and character. But back then, I never knew what resistance was. As I got older I started reading about it and watching other drag artists from around the world and knew this is what I wanted to do! “
He/she further said,
I created this avatar because I wanted people to understand that drag is performance art, not just drag. I am gender fluid, hence the name, because Rani is the queen, but there is a he in Ko-He-nur. In drag, men—gay, straight, transgender, or bisexual—can impersonate women, including wearing extremely feminine clothing, exaggerated makeup, and wigs. Drag can also involve women – lesbian, straight, transgender or bisexual – playing male roles. Gender fluid people also do drag – our first solo drag king was Durga Gawde, who went by the stage name Shakti. “
Sushant Divjikar as drag queen
Sushant is the first Indian drag queen to perform with global media company Condé Nast. He/she has also performed as “Rani KoHEnur” or “Rani Ko-He-Nur” in various Indian TV shows, stage shows and live events. In 2021, she participated in the drag queen singing TV series “Queen of the Universe”. In the show, he/she sang songs such as “Piya Tu Ab To Aja”, “Laila Main Laila” and “My Heart Will Go On”.
LGBTQ activist
Sushant has been an LGBTQ activist for a long time. He/she actively participates in various LGBTQ marches and seminars.
Sushant Divgikar at LGBTQ parade
In his/her various interviews, he/she talked about providing rights to the LGBTQ community. Sushant said in an interview,
I consider Hijra idols Gauri Sawant, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi and many others to be their spiritual guides. I don’t have to be from their community to feel a family bond with them. That’s the beauty of being part of this community. When I talk about minorities, I have to talk about Hijras, Dalits, and sexual, gender and even religious groups because our struggles are intersectional. Why do we still demand equal rights in democracies? “
Other jobs
In 2017, he/she appeared in the Hindi web series “101 India”. In 2022, he/she started the YouTube series “Main Bhi Rani with Sushant Divgikar” in which he/she talks to various transgender people.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- 2018: GQ’s 50 Most Influential Young Indians
Sushant Divgikar – GQ’s 50 Most Influential Young Indians 2019
- 2019: Indian HIV/AIDS Alliance honors Community Leadership Award for groundbreaking excellence and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ nationally and internationally
- 2019: Rotaract 3141 honored with Real Hero Award for breaking barriers and challenging gender norms
- 2020: Changemaker Award from Mac India
- 2020: Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 List
- 2021: Instagram for Business Top 25 Instagram Creators in India
- 2022: LGBTQIA+ Voice Blogger of the Year Awards – Cosmo India’s Popular Choice
Sushant Divgikar presented the award
Favorites
- Drag Queen: Trixie Mattel
- Song: Lag Jaa Gale by Woh Kaun Thi? (1964)
Facts/Trivia
- His/her family and friends call her Sushi.
- While in school, he participated in swimming competitions and served as sports captain. Participated in national and national swimming competitions many times.
- He/she has a tattoo on the left breast.
Sushant Devjikar’s tattoos
- He/she is an avid dog lover and owns a pet dog.
Sushant Divgikar and his pet dog
- Sushant is a spiritual person with deep faith in Lord Ganesha.
Sushant Divgikar with the idol of Lord Ganesha
- He/she has appeared on the covers of various magazines including Cosmopolitan and Rolling Stone.
Sushant Divgikar on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine
- He/she is often found drinking at parties and events.
Sushant Divgikar holding a glass of wine
- He/she receives congratulations at various events. He/She has been honored by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Sushant Divgikar was felicitated at the event
- Sushant is active on various social media platforms. He/she has a YouTube channel with the same name.
- He/she had been bullied and harassed because of his/her sexual orientation and fell into depression. In an interview, he/she talked about this. He/she said,
My family is my biggest strength and they are very supportive of everything I do. I am privileged to come from a family with a big heart and a progressive family. They do not discriminate on the basis of gender, religion, caste or creed. There are many people who say one thing and do exactly the opposite. My parents taught us to love and respect everyone, no matter who they were or where they came from. I think every family should be like mine. They supported me during my difficult times. In addition, Indian model Diandra also gave me a lot of support. “
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education