Dude (Looks like a lady)

Move to another set,where Ali Asgar as the singing dancing daadi in salwar kameez and sneakers is quite popular on Comedy Nights with Kapil. He is joined in his buffoonery by co-actor Sunil Grover,who is dressed up as various female characters. His ‘Sipika’ as Deepika Padukone’s cousin left Shah Rukh Khan speechless. Clearly being a woman is a man’s job on Indian television. And the surging TRPs are a testament to that. In the past we’ve had Cyrus Sahukar channel his inner Simi in Semi Girebaal. Our all time favourite drag queen of course remains Aamir Khan,right from the time he showed off those shapely waxed legs in his film Baazi,to the recent commercials for Godrej,where he plays the chic,Sonia.

“I strongly feel men are funnier than women. Not that women can’t crack jokes,it’s just that women are classy,practise restraint,and will not go back slapping or mouthing off dirty jokes in public,” says Gera. Till now it was just a tool for comic relief but with Pammi,it’s no longer just a laughing matter. A central role driven by a man play-acting as a woman in a medium that is primarily dominated by saas,bahus and betis cannot be a joke.

It’s a tough job becoming a woman for the small screen. Gera sits through two hours of make up daily. The process of his transformation includes choosing nail paints and lipstick shades to match the sari he is wearing. In order to avoid the pain of waxing,Gera first tried using a hair removal product before opting for a razor. Stilettos give him stabbing pain in the back,sandals cause blisters and zari saris give him a rash. He is smeared with layers of foundation to hide his stubble. The perfectionist Gera researched for the perfect padding to accentuate his lean figure and even chose Pammi’s hairstyle. It also helps that he had his ears pierced when he was young. It’s only after this daily drill that Param transforms into Pammi.

As Asgar says,“But it takes dozens of hairpins,layers of make-up and don’t forget buckets of sweat,” to turn into TV’s most happening granny. Known for his ‘Basanti act’,the drag,says Asgar,is easier for writers to pen. “It has a novelty element and instant recall value. Men dressing up as women has been part of Indian culture,since nautanki days. It raises curiosity and becomes a talking point. Take films such as Mrs Doubtfire,Tootsie or Chachi 420 where each character is memorable,” says Prashant Bhatt,Fiction

Head,Colors.

Another argument is that once you’re dressed as a woman,you can indulge in ‘physical comedy’. “I can’t make a real daadi sit up all night for shoots or push and shove her around like I do with Asgar,” says Kapil Sharma. Actor Archana Puran Singh agrees

that the trend started with men exploring their horizons,but it hit off and she’s a fan.

So are we.