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Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal
The Life and Times of a Female Impersonator
Series: The Pride List
Brief Description
Blending biography with evocative vignettes, Chapal Rani traces the career of Bengali stage actor Chapal Bhaduri and his struggle for artistic identity in a changing world. As the last great female impersonator of Bengali theatre, Chapal Bhaduri—known as Chapal Rani—once held audiences spellbound in the jatra...
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Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal
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Description
Blending biography with evocative vignettes, Chapal Rani traces the career of Bengali stage actor Chapal Bhaduri and his struggle for artistic identity in a changing world.
As the last great female impersonator of Bengali theatre, Chapal Bhaduri—known as Chapal Rani—once held audiences spellbound in the jatra tradition, where men became goddesses and heroines. But when women finally took their place on stage, Chapal found himself exiled from the world he had ruled. In this groundbreaking biography, Sandip Roy captures the rise and fall of a performer whose art was inseparable from his identity.
Told in Chapal's own voice and interwoven with evocative fictional vignettes, Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal brings to life Kolkata's golden age of theatre and the resilience of a man who refused to disappear. Through decades of research and deeply personal interviews, Roy crafts a moving portrait of gender and belonging.
Series: The Pride List
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Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal
Blending biography with evocative vignettes, Chapal Rani traces the career of Bengali stage actor Chapal Bhaduri and his struggle for artistic identity in a changing world. As the last great female impersonator of Bengali theatre, Chapal Bhaduri—known as Chapal Rani—once held audiences spellbound in the jatra tradition, where men became goddesses and heroines. But when women finally took their place...Hardback$5499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
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Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781803095516
Publisher: Seagull Books London Ltd
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 05 January 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Seagull Books London Ltd
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 454g
Pages: 520
About the Author
Sandip Roy is a writer, columnist, and podcaster currently living in Kolkata. He is a columnist for Mint Lounge, The Hindu, and the host of the Sandip Roy Show on Indian Express. His work has appeared in The New York Times, BBC, The San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Huffington Post, Conde Nast Traveller, among other publications. For over a decade, Roy was editor of Trikone, the world’s oldest magazine on LGBTQ+ South Asian issues. He is the author of the novel Don’t Let Him Know.
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