Queen Harish

Queen Harish
Queen Harish during a dance performance
Born
Harish Kumar

1979 (1979)
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
Died2 June 2019(2019-06-02) (aged 39–40)
Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Cause of deathRoad accident
OccupationDancer
Known forRajasthani folk dances
Children2

Harish Kumar (Hindi: रानी हरीश) (1979 – 2 June 2019), known as Queen Harish or Rani Harish, was a folk dancer and choreographer from Rajasthan, India. He worked to protect and promote Rajasthani folk dances like Ghoomar, Kalbelia, Chang, and Bhawai.

Early life

Harish Kumar was born in 1979 in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, to a family of carpenters from the Suthar community. He started dancing at age 13. After his parents died young, he began drag dancing to support his sisters. Harish said,

“I am a man, who chooses to dance for a living. That's a reality that I will never ignore. I chose to make the Queen part more regal and not comical.”

Inspired by 'Annu Master,' who performed the first drag dance in Jaisalmer, Harish learned from him. He also practiced American tribal style belly dancing and pole dancing to master feminine movements.

Career

Harish performed Rajasthani dances like Ghoomar, Kalbelia, Chang, Bhawai, and Chari in over 60 countries. He taught choreography to more than 2,000 students in Japan. His performances were highlights at events like the Jaipur Literary Mela, the Raqs Congress in Brussels, the Belly Dancing Festival in Seoul, and Desilicious in New York City. In 2010, he was a semi-finalist on the reality TV show 'India's Got Talent.' He appeared in Bollywood movies like Upadapdu (2003), Jai Gangajal (2016), and The Accidental Prime Minister (2019). In 2007, he featured in Jasmine Dellal's documentary When the Road Bends... Tales of a Gypsy Caravan. He ran a daily show called Queen Harish Program in Jaisalmer, in collaboration with the Rajasthan government, and was invited to perform at Isha Ambani's pre-wedding celebrations in December 2018.

Personal life

Harish was married and had two sons. He died in a road accident on 2 June 2019 while traveling from Jaisalmer to Ajmer. Three other artists also died in the accident. The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, said,

“Harish gave a new identity to Jaisalmer with his different dance style. His death is a big loss to the field of folk art.”

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Obituary | Queen Harish, India's 'Dancing Desert Drag Queen'". The Wire. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  2. 1 2 ""Life is a stage and I'm here to dance"". The Times of India. 16 August 2015. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  3. ↑ Nast, Condé (3 June 2019). "Who was Queen Harish?". Condé Nast Traveller India. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  4. ↑ "Rajasthan's famous folk dancer Queen Harish dies in a road accident". The Times of India. 2 June 2019. ISSN 0971-8257.
  5. 1 2 Asnani, Rajesh (6 June 2019). "Jaipur diary: Rajasthan mourns folk dancer Queen Harish". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "Queen Harish of Jaisalmer, Traditional Dancers from Jaisalmer". Jaisalmer Online. Archived from the original on 2022-02-07. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  7. 1 2 Roy, Sandip (22 July 2008). "Queen Harish dances in drag". SFGate. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Rajasthan's popular folk dancer Queen Harish dies in an accident. Watch his old videos". Scroll.in. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  9. ↑ "Harish - Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Famous folk dancer Queen Harish, three other artists pass away in an accident near Jodhpur". The Economic Times. 3 June 2019. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 9 February 2019.